NEW YORK - A Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City helicopter crew helped fulfill the dream of a Queens boy with a life-threatening illness, at Juniper Valley Park in Queens, N.Y., Monday.
Eight-year-old Colin Flood, diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, is battling his second round of the disease after fighting it off with chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.
An avid fan of shows such as Coast Guard Alaska and the Deadliest Catch, Colin dreamed of being in a Coast Guard helicopter. Due to the serious nature of his condition, it was uncertain whether Colin would be able to experience seeing a Coast Guard helicopter up close. The New York Police Department and Fire Department of New York closed Juniper Valley Park, located near the Flood's home, so a Coast Guard helicopter crew could safely land there and Colin could visit it.
Once the Coast Guard air crew was on scene, they gave Colin a tour of the helicopter and presented him with a photograph of the helicopter signed by the Air Station crew, a Coast Guard ball cap and t-shirt, unit patches and a name tag with Colin's name on it.
"It meant a lot to us to see the happiness on Colin's face and to be able to fulfill his dream to see a Coast Guard helicopter up close and personal," said Special Agent John Keeley of Coast Guard Investigative Services. Keeley coordinated efforts between the Coast Guard, NYPD, FDNY and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to make Colin's wish come true.
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