Jersey City throws parade for little boy battling cancer

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (WABC) -- A community in New Jersey rallied together for a little boy battling cancer, by giving him his own parade.

Most days Parth Patel is a 4th grader battling cancer who just wants to go to his school PS 27 in Jersey City. He also loves superheroes and wants to be a police officer. So guess what? He got his wish.

"Look at his smile! This is what it's about!" said Adrienne Morrell, Jersey City Police Department.

His day started riding shotgun with Batman.

"Were you surprised?" Eyewitness News Reporter Michelle Charlesworth asked.

"They didn't tell me about the surprise!" Patel said.

9-year-old Parth was escorted to school by just about anyone who normally wears a uniform in Jersey City; police, fire, paramedics, EMTs, and superheroes.

"I let them know there was a sick kid who needs help, phones rang off hook and they needed no motivation, this is what we do!" said Anthony Turner, a JC Paramedic.

The Marty Lyons Foundation started the ball rolling, they grant wishes like this.

"He said he wants to go to school! So we took him with a bang!" a participant said.

"He wanted to be at school, be a police officer and be around superheroes so we made it happen for him," said Captain Edgar Martinez, Jersey City Police Department.

Inside school, there was a pizza party, dancing, and he received a key to the city.

There wasn't enough Kleenex for all of the adults, tears and prayers for his health, and tears of happiness because Parth was so happy. There was a lot of gratitude for all the hard work that made this magical day possible.