LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Blue, black and white balloons dressed up the pedestrian bridge leading to the Lakewood Police Department (LPD) headquarters Wednesday morning.
“Balloons make everybody happy," said Emily Gauthier, looking at the police-themed display her lungs made possible.
“It’s hard blowing up all these balloons by yourself," she said. "A lot of air.”
On the street below, Summer Rain scrubbed down a police cruiser by hand until it was squeaky clean.
"It’s looking really good!" She said, wiping the inside of a door panel. "It’s looking really good.”
LPD staff and volunteers worked together Wednesday to prepare the department for a visit from a VIP.
"We’re just totally humbled that this kid would even want to include us in this special day," said Kyle Winters, an LPD agent and K-9 handler.
The entire department knew the kid by name. They were just waiting to meet him and so was Chief Ed Loar.
“I think a lot of people want to celebrate Bodie’s day, and this is fun," Loar said, standing with the crowd assembled outside the police station. "It’s fun to see the turnout.”
Minutes later, the VIP, 3-year-old Bodie Seifert, arrived in the backseat of his mom's car, escorted by two police officers on motorcycles and a pair of police cruisers.
The crowd clapped as the motorcade parked in front of the police station where various police vehicles had been assembled. Bodie's mom, Emily Peterson, lifted her son out of his car seat and stood him in front of the crowd.
"What do you think?!" She asked. "All these people love you."
Bodie made the trip to LPD from Children's Hospital Colorado where he received his last round of radiation treatment Wednesday morning.
“He really just handles everything better than every adult I could imagine going through neuroblastoma cancer," Peterson said.
Since his diagnosis in Sept. 2021, Bodie endured five rounds of chemotherapy, two bone marrow transplants and 13 days of radiation treatment, his mother said.
“He’s my superhero, and clearly he’s the community’s as well," Peterson said.
Before Bodie's last treatment, Peterson reached out to LPD and asked if her son could see a squad car after his appointment.
Instead, LPD provided a celebration full of balloons, lights, sirens and more. Chief Loar gave Bodie his own personalized police cap along with a special duty.
“Today, July 13th, you are officially an honorary police agent for the Lakewood Police Dept." Chief Loar said, reading from a certificate. "This is awarded to the bravest, strongest, sweetest little boy having completed his final bone marrow transplant, chemotherapy and radiation treatments.”
Bodie and his mom spent the next half hour visiting with police officers, exploring the inside of a SWAT vehicle, blasting sirens and meeting Duke, a police K-9.
"It's hog heaven for a three-year-old," Peterson said. "For this to be all for him is just mind-blowing.”
Peterson never expected such a gift from her police department, but she knew the VIP in her life deserved it.
“[Bodie is] a beautiful soul," she said. "He really is. I’m blessed.”
Peterson said Bodie's latest scans showed his cancer was on track to be in remission by Christmas. She encouraged people to donate blood and platelets to help other children like Bodie.
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