ASHLAND, MASS. (WHDH) – The Make-A-Wish Foundation helped make a young boy’s dream come true Wednesday, getting him into a trash truck to ride a route as an honorary trash collector for Waste Management in Ashland.
Four-year-old Alan’s family said he loves trash trucks and wants to grow up to be a garbage man.
In Wednesday’s event, he was greeted by a crowd of supporters as he finished his route.
“It has been fun and overwhelming,” said Alan’s mom, Lola.
“He seemed very excited on the whole trip,” said Waste Management driver Richard Birch. “And he got to dump some barrels and crush the garbage.”
Alan has cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that also impacts his older brother, Theo. In addition to Alan, Theo was also along for the ride Wednesday.
“It affects the digestive system and the respiratory system,” Alan’s mother said. “And we do our preventative treatments on the daily, medicine with every meal, and they just sort of take it in stride.”
Alan’s day as an honorary trash collector started bright and early. He clocked in, was given gear, and joined the morning team huddle.
“He said he was a little tired when he first started,” Birch said. “I was like ‘Well trash men start very early in the morning, so you’re going to be tired.’”
Escorted by local police and firefighters, Alan then rode along his special morning route.
Alan’s shift concluded at Henry Warren Elementary School where he was greeted with cheers and a garbage truck of his very own.
“Just coming around the corner to see how many people were here, that moment will definitely stick in my mind,” Alan’s mom said.
Make-A-Wish of Massachusetts and Rhode Island said this effort was part of its goal to grant wishes for 150 children before Labor Day.
In a statement before Wednesday’s event, Make-A-Wish said the experience would “highlight the joy of the Make-A-Wish mission and the power of a wish to inspire and unite…