Federal Agents and Make-A-Wish Whisk 9-Year-Old to NBA Meetup in Official Motorcade
The Make-A-Wish organization is known for making critically ill children's dreams come true. That often means introducing them to their favorite athlete or pop star or sending them on a special trip with their family. Nine-year-old Tairih King, who is being treated for Hodgkin lymphoma, wanted to meet his idol: Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics NBA team.
Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island got to work. The organization teamed up with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service along with the Massachusetts State Police and Boston Police Department for the full V.I.P. experience all the way to Boston Garden, where the Celtics play. King and his family rode in a motorcade made up of several black Chevrolet Suburbans and arrived at the arena door last Thursday.
Once inside, the young cancer patient was met by Celtics dance team members and Lucky the Leprechaun, the Celtics’ mascot. King and his brother Tavaj met Tatum and took photos, and the NBW player gifted the wish recipient a pair of signed shoes that were pre-worn by the professional athlete.
“It can’t be easy to pull off an experience like Tairih’s when there is so much that goes into a game, but this was a dream come true for Tairih," said Sean Holleran, CEO of Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island. “The anticipation of his wish and the wish experience itself brought so much joy and hope when Tairih and his family needed it most.”
While DSS agents keep poker faces and take their jobs very seriously, they aren’t unmoved by the request of a seriously ill child.
“The Diplomatic Security Service Boston Field Office was honored to partner with the Massachusetts State Police and Boston Police Department to transport a very special dignitary," Special Agent in Charge of the DSS Boston Field Office Matthew O’Brien told Road & Track. "It’s a privilege to get to know these families and to be a part of the wish experiences that are so important in their health journeys.”
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