By Jonathan Lin | The Jersey Journal
on October 22, 2016 at 5:59 PM
updated October 22, 2016 at 7:35 PM
More than 100 police officers, firefighters, and EMTs surprised 9-year-old Parth Patel, who is diagnosed with cancer, with a hero-themed parade from his house on Nelson Avenue to School 27 on North Street in Jersey City on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016, followed by a pizza party in the auditorium.
Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal
JERSEY CITY — Parth Patel is a 9-year-old fourth grader who loves going to school. And like all 9-year-old kids, he loves surprises, too.
In 2014 he was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a form of cancer that typically occurs in areas around the bones in children and young adults. In recent weeks, Parth hasn’t been able to attend full days of school because of his illness.
Police Officer Adrien Murrell heard about Parth’s battle with cancer, and having lost her brother to a terminal illness, she decided she wanted to do something special for the 9-year-old.
More than 100 police officers, firefighters, and EMTs held a surprise parade from Parth’s Nelson Avenue home down North Street to School 27 on Wednesday afternoon. Wearing a custom-made Jersey City Police Officer uniform, Parth was carried from his home and placed in a Batmobile where he was driven by his favorite superhero.
“Hello everybody,” Parth said through an intercom. “Thank you for coming.”
North Street was lined with students from the school holding signs calling Parth their superhero. His classmates cheered “let’s go Parth” as he passed them.
Parth’s 18-year-old sister Hileri Patel said school means a lot to her brother and he considers it a second home. Seeing her brother so happy today was special for the Fairleigh Dickinson University student.
“I’m really happy because he has been upset and not feeling so well the past couple of days and now he looks really great,” Hileri Patel said.
First responders stopped to greet Parth as he sat in a wheelchair outside his school, presenting him with various gifts, including a superhero cape from Jersey City Medical Center EMTs and an honorary battalion chief fire helmet.
As Parth was wheeled over to pet one of Newark Police Department’s horses, Murrell grew emotional. She later told The Jersey Journal she was overcome with happiness when she saw Parth smile.
“I just wanted to see him smile,” the veteran police officer said. “That’s it and it will make the family feel like they have the support.”
The parade was put together in less than a week, Murrell said. The Marty Lyons Foundation held a pizza party for Parth and his classmates in the school’s auditorium after the parade, where he was presented a key to Jersey City by Mayor Steve Fulop.
Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on
Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
