By Jonathan Lin | The Jersey Journal
A 9-year-old boy who had been living with a deadly cancer died days after first responders in Jersey City threw him a surprise hero-themed parade.
Fourth-grader Parth Patel was diagnosed in 2014 with Ewing sarcoma, a form of cancer that typically occurs in areas around the bones in children and young adults. In recent weeks, Parth hadn’t been able to attend full days of school because of the illness.
Jersey City Police Officer Adrien Murrell had heard about Parth’s battle with cancer, and having lost her brother to a terminal illness, wanted to do something special for the 9-year-old.
So on Wednesday, more than 100 police officers, firefighters, and EMTs held a hero-themed surprise parade from Parth’s Nelson Avenue home to School 27.
Parth’s classmates cheered him on and the Marty Lyons Foundation held a pizza party in the school’s auditorium after the parade, where Parth was presented with the key to the city by Mayor Steve Fulop.
