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Garbage boy for a day: Ethan's wish is granted 6-year-old surprised in Rancho Cordova with special garbage truck Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT KEEP THAT IN MIND. LET'S GO BACK OUT LI N TO VICKI AT THE STATE CAPITOL IN DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO WHERE SIX-YEAR-OLD ETHAN IS GETTING HIS WISH TO BE A GARBAGE MAN FOR THE DAY FROM THE FOLKS AT THE MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION. >> HE IS ROUNDING THE CORNER. THE MOMENT IS ARRIVING. A SIMPLE WISH TO BE A GARBAGE MAN FOR A DAY. IT HAS ESCALATED INTO A MOMENTUM OF LOVE AND SUPPORT. HERE IS ETHAN GOING OUT TO THE STATE CAPITAL. TRANSFORMING JUST FOR THIS SIX-YEAR-OLD CHILD, ALONG WITH QUITE POSSIBLY 1000 PEOPLE CHEERING HIM ON, HOLDING SIGNS. THIS HAS BEEN THE ENTIRE MORNING FOR ETHAN. IT IS IMPORTANT TO SHARE THAT THIS IS JUST ONE MOMENT OF A LONG AND DIFFICULT JOURNEY. CYSTIC FIBROSIS IS A DIFFICULT ILLNESS THAT ATTACKS THE LUNGS AND THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT WHEN YOU'RE TAKING IN THE MOMENT, IT IS A LONG ROAD FOR TH FAMILY, WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR IT TO BE DEADLY. THE LIFESPAN IS AROUND 40 YEARS OLD AND THAT IS THE AVERAGE. FOR EVEN TODAY, HE IS GETTING HIS WISH SURROUNDED BY EVERYONE, FROM THE MAYOR ELECT TO THE SACRAMENTO POLICE CHIEF, THE SACRAMENTO FIRE DEPARTMENT, SACRAMENTO DANCERS IN HIGH SCHOOL CHEERLEADERS AND COUNTLESS OTHERS. IT IS ON WISH THAT IS REALLY IMPACTING A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE. AND HERE IS THE BIG MOMENT. RIGHT THERE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, LOOKING VERY COOL IN HIS SUNGLASSES. HE HAS NOT LIFE THAT SMILE OFF HIS FACE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WHEN THIS ALL STARTED AT SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHEN HE LEARNED HIS WISH WOULD BE GRANTED. MAKE A WISH IS TELLING US HE HAD FOUR WISHES AND EVERY WISH CENTERED AROUND BEING A GARBAGE MAN. IT IS SOMETHING HE PRACTICES IN A DEDICATED WAY AT HOME AND HE PLANS ON BEING A GARBAGE MAN WHEN HE GROWS UP. TODAY IS GIVING HIM A TASTE OF WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT MEANS TO SO MANY PEOPLE AND HOW IT IMPACTS COUNTLESS PEOPLE HERE. ABOUT TO GET OUT RIGHT NOW, AND CROWDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SURROUNDING HIM THROUGH THE MORNING. IN MANY WAYS, THE CITY -- IN SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WAY. HE IS GETTING READY TO COME OUT. I BELIEVE, YES, TAKING OFF THE SEATBELT. HIS -- HIS WHOLE FAMILY HAS BEEN FOLLOWING ALONG AS WELL. HE STOPPED OFF AT HIS DAD'S WORK AT THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. LOVE ONCE FOLLOWING HIM ALONG AND CARRYING SIGNS AND FOR HIM, A GARBAGE MAN IS A SUPERHERO. HE SAID THAT HIMSELF WHEN HE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE SURPRISE THIS MORNING. HE IS NOW REALLY A HERO TO A LOT OF US, TEACHING A LOT OF US PRETTY BIG LESSONS. THERE HE IS COMING OUT. ["EYE OF THE TIGER" BY SURIVOR PLAYING] ♪ >> HUGE APPLAUSE. >> READY TO GO? READY, BUDDY? IT WE GO. HERE WE GO. HERE HE COMES, EVERYBODY. [APPLAUSE] >> FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WITH HIS FATHER, GOING THROUGH THE CROWD, A SACRAMENTO ROCKSTAR RIGHT NOW. AS I MENTIONED, HE WILL GET A PROCLAMATION FROM GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN'S'S OFFICE. ALSO A KEY TO THE CITY, WHERE THE JOURNEY BEGAN. AND IT IS NOT OVER YET. HE WILL HEAR FROM THE MAYOR ELECT AND I BELIEVE MAYOR JOHNSO AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE IN ETHAN'S HEAD RIGHT NOW, TAKING IN THE CHEERS AND THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE FOR THE SIX-YEAR-OLD WHO IS BATTERING CYSTIC FIBROSIS. THIS IS ALL MADE POSSIBLE BY THE MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION. LISA: IT IS AMAZING TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE, WOULD YOU SAY THERE ARE MAYBE 1000? YOU CAN SEE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE. >> YES, AT THE CAPITAL, SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE ARE HERE. ETHAN HAS SEVERAL OF STOPS ALONG THE WAY AND THEY ARE SHUTDOWN WITH PEOPLE. I THINK THERE ARE WELL OVER 1000 INDIVIDUALS COMING OUT TODAY ON A TUESDAY MORNING TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR ONE CHILD WITH A SIMPLE DREAM, BUT IT HAS REALLY KIND OF MANIFESTED INTO THIS BEAUTIFUL MOVEMENT. LISA IT IS A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT AND A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE BOY. IT IS A LONG JOURNEY. THE LIFE EXPECTANCY IN THE BEST CASE SCENARIO IS 40. PROGRESS EVEN JUST 10 YEARS AGO, IT WAS ONLY 34 OR 35. MORE STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE. I FIND IT HEARTWARMING THAT WITH HIS DAD WORKING FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AND HIM FOLLOWING IN HIS DAD'S IS WHAT STEPS AND HIS LOVE FOR GARBAGE WORKERS, AS THEY CLEAN UP THE ENVIRONMENT AND HELP RECYCLE, AND HELP PUT WASTE WHERE WASTE SHOULD GO, IT IS FASCINATING AND HEARTWARMING TO SEE HIS DREAM COME TRUE TODAY WITH THE HELP OF ALL OF THESE PEOPLE, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. >> ABSOLUTELY. THERE HE IS AT THE PODIUM RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE CAPITAL. YOU SAID IT PERFECTLY. HE HAS OPTIONS TO MAKE ANY WISH HE WANTED AND HE CHOSE TO BE A GARBAGE MAN AND SERVED HIS COMMUNITY AND HE WILL BE SPEAKING RIGHT NOW. LISA: LET'S LISTEN IN ON HIS BIG DAY. >> CHECK OUT ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT TO SEE EVEN TODAY. [APPLAUSE] WHAT A MORNING WE HAVE BEEN HAVING, HAVEN'T WE? A PHENOMENAL MORNING. THIS IS OUR HERO, ETHAN. LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR HERO TODAY. YOU ARE A PRETTY COOL GUY. CAN YOU SAY I AM A PRETTY COOL GUY? ETHAN: I AM A PRETTY COOL GUY. >> HE IS SIX YEARS OLD AND HAS CYSTIC FIBROSIS. HE WAS DIAGNOSED THAT ONLY 18 DAYS OLD. HE MUST'VE BEEN PRETTY LITTLE BACK THEN. EVEN: I WAS LITTLE. -- ETHAN: I WAS LITTLE. >> CYSTIC FIBROSI EVENTUALLY MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO BREATHE. WHAT DO YOU DO DURING YOUR BREATHING TREATMENTS? ETHAN: PLAY VIDEO GAMES. >> I HEARD YOU ALSO SAYING. ARE YOU IT -- ARE YOU A SINGER? ETHAN: YES, I AM. [LAUGHTER] >> MAYBE IF WE WERE LUCKY, WE COULD HEAR EVEN SING TODAY. ETHAN: NO THANK YOU. [LAUGHTER] >> WE HAVE BEEN RUNNING ALL AROUND TOWN TODAY AND HE IS SO EXCITED TO MEET SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE P ARE A LOT MORE PEOPLE WANT TO MEET YOU TODAY. LET'S TELL EVERYBODY WHAT YOU DID TODAY. WHO ARE YOU? ETHAN: A GARBAGE MAN. [APPLAUSE] >> DID YOU HAVE A FAMOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT DRIVER WHO DROVE YOU AROUND TODAY? [APPLAUSE] LISA: LET'S HEAR IT FOR ETHAN AND SAM. REALLY GREAT TO SEE THE MAKE-A-WISH FOLKS MAKING THIS HAPPEN. WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW. WE WILL TAKE A QUICK BREAK AND BE RIGHT BACK. >> KCRA THREE NEWS CONTINUES. LISA: THERE IS THE MAYOR ELECT OF SACRAMENTO DARRELL STEINBERG -- FIENBERG SPEAKING WITH LITTLE EVEN. HE WAS SACRAMENTO HERO, A SIX-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO HAS LIVED WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS HIS WHOLE LIFE. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, THE BODY BASIC THEY HAD A HARD TIME GETTING RID OF TOXINS AND MUCUS AND THAT SORT OF THING. THAT IS WHAT HE WANTED FROM THE MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION, NOT TO GO TO DISNEYLAND, NOT TO GO TO DISNEY WORLD AND BE SOME SORT OF SUPERHERO, FOR HIM, BEING A SUPERHERO IS BEING A GARBAGE MAN. HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE SUPPORTING HIM, INCLUDING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT , SEVERAL POLITICIANS AND A LOT OF LOCAL CHEERLEADERS. FOR HIM, THAT IS THE CURRENT SACRAMENTO POLICE CHIEF.