Boy with cancer turns into a superhero for a day

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MJ12

The Freeman
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Mushy emotions time..

​



Thursday was shaping up to be just another school day for 13-year-old Erik Martin, but then something extraordinary happened: Spider-Man called.

Spider-Man happens to be one of the few people who knows that Erik, too, has a secret identity — he's Electron Boy, a superhero who fights the powers of evil with light.

And Spider-Man needed Erik's help.

Erik, who is living with liver cancer, has always wanted to be a superhero. On Thursday, the regional chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted him that wish with an elaborate event that involved hundreds of volunteers in Bellevue and Seattle.

The local chapter, which serves four states, grants more than 300 wishes every year to children with life-threatening medical conditions, but only a few of them involve so many participants.

Pulling off a wish like this one required a big story, and a lot of heart. And so, with a note of panic in his voice, Spider-Man explained the dilemma: "Dr. Dark" and "Blackout Boy" had imprisoned the Seattle Sounders in a locker room at Qwest Field. Only Electron Boy could free them.

Erik got into his red-and-blue superhero costume, and called on the powers of Moonshine Maid, who owns a DeLorean sports car. For good measure, more than 20 motorcycle officers from the Bellevue Police Department and King County and Snohomish sheriff's offices escorted Electron Boy to Seattle.

"They shut down 405 — they shut down I-90," marveled Moonshine Maid, aka Misty Peterson. "I thought it would just be me, in the car."

At Qwest Field, Electron Boy was directed by frantic fans to the Sounders locker room, where the entire team was shouting for help behind jammed doors. With a little help from Lightning Lad, the alter ego of local actor Rob Burgess, Erik opened the door with his lightning rod. The Sounders cheered.

"Thank you, Electron Boy," said defender Taylor Graham.

"You saved us!" exclaimed forward Nate Jaqua.

"Good job, big man," said defender Tyrone Marshall. And forward Steve Zakuani mutely bowed his thanks.
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Electron Boy seemed a little dazed by his powers. Out on Qwest Field, the Sounders gave Erik a hero's congratulations, posed for pictures and gave him a jersey and autographed ball.

Everyone was startled when, overhead, the Jumbotron crackled to life.

"Electron Boy, I am Dr. Dark and this is Blackout Boy," sneered an evil voice, as the villain — Edgar Hansen, and his sidekick Jake Anderson, both of Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" — taunted the young superhero. "We are here to take over Seattle and make it dark!"

On the Jumbotron, a video showed a Puget Sound Electric employee Jim Hutchinson trapped in the top of his bucket truck in front of PSE's Bellevue headquarters. Only Electron Boy could save him.

As Electron Boy's motorcade — the DeLorean, the 25 motorcycle officers and a white limo — rolled through downtown Bellevue, pedestrians stopped in their tracks and pulled out their cameras to take pictures. Clearly, somebody famous was in town. But who could it be?

"It's Electron Boy," Erik's older sister, Charlotte Foote, shouted out the window of the limousine.

More than 250 PSE employees gathered outside the company's headquarters and cheered as Electron Boy freed the trapped worker. "It was so loud, people in office buildings were looking out the window," said Make-A-Wish communications director Jeannette Tarcha.

But Dr. Dark and Blackout Boy were still at large. Electron Boy got a tip that the evil duo were at the Space Needle, where they had disabled the elevator and trapped people on the observation deck. Racing back to Seattle, Electron Boy stepped out of the DeLorean to a cheering crowd of dozens of admirers, and confronted his nemesis.

"How did you find us, Electron Boy?" Dr. Dark demanded.

Erik wordlessly leapt at Dr. Dark with his lightning rod, freezing the villain. Then he unlocked the elevator and freed the people trapped upstairs.

Bellevue police Officer Curtis McIvor snapped handcuffs on Dr. Dark and Blackout Boy, who couldn't resist some last words: "How can we thank you for saving our souls?"

A tiny smile played around Electron Boy's mouth. Just for good measure, he held his lightning sword to Blackout Boy's throat again. The crowd went wild. "Hip-hip, hooray!"

Seattle City Councilwoman Sally Bagshaw stepped forward with a key to the city and a proclamation that Thursday was Electron Boy Day. Afterward, Erik posed for the TV cameras, flexed his muscles and spent some time astride a Bellevue police motorcycle.

"He's over the moon," said Foote. "This is definitely beyond anything we thought it would be."

Watching her son run across the plaza in front of the Space Needle, mom Judy Martin said Erik goes to school when he's able, but is often too tired. "He hasn't had this much energy in a long time," she said. "They called it the power of the wish, and they're right."

Like any good superhero, Electron Boy kept his innermost thoughts to himself. But he did have one important thing to say:

"This is the best day of my life."
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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011740342_electronboy30m.html
 
Sounds a bit gay. Even 13 year old me would have felt that.
 
16gzae1jpg.gif
 
That kid totally stole his Superhero idea from Bill Bryson.
 
"How can we thank you for saving our souls?"
"I'm going to put my sword to your throat."
 
Man, I can't even imagine having a terminal illness at that age... he'd be in 8th grade right about now, no? When you have just enough days behind you that you can understand the potential in the future you'll probably not see. I think I would endorse events like this if it helps take the edge off.
 
This is ****ing awesome. But it also makes me so sad. How people as caring human beings get together to make a wish come true for a child to has to suffer through a terrible death at such a young age. It's heart warming and heart crushing at the same time.


Man...Edgar Hansen and Jake Anderson from Deadliest Catch. I ****ing love Edgar. Mad props to him for doing this.


Oh ****ing lawl at his costume.
ilghi1.jpg

2evgro6.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxW3-xGTqPE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJo6skPrKhE
 
"This dying boy fulfilled his dream."

"Queer."
 
Wow. Poor kid. You have to admit, having your greatest dream being fulfilled just because you have a terminal illness is pretty uncool.
 
Nomad said:
You have to admit, having your greatest dream being fulfilled just because you have a terminal illness is pretty uncool.
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Not really...

There are two kids; one has a disease and will die in 4 months, spends his time in a lonely hospital suffering, and the other is healthy and goes to school and gets to play with his friends.

Someone has a bit of money to make one of these children's dreams come true. Obviously that person is going to spend it on the kid who is going to die, because he is suffering and wont get to live nearly as long as the other child who gets to experience life everyday.
 
Nomad said:
Wow. Poor kid. You have to admit, having your greatest dream being fulfilled just because you have a terminal illness is pretty uncool.
Click to expand...

Yeah, lucky him.

Oh, wait.
 
you are just jealous cuz you disguised as a super hero around that age too and your parents spanked you so hard your butts got like giant cherrys and they tell you to "grow up now so you can leave already!" and them went to drink some whisky
 
What kinda wish is that? Sure if you're 6 years old or something, but this kid is 13 god damn it. Man shit, at that age I ran around trying to finger **** people. No one really let me, but still.
 
Regardless of the Wish, its still touching that so many people joined to help brighten the life of such a kid...
 
Rizzo said:
What kinda wish is that? Sure if you're 6 years old or something, but this kid is 13 god damn it. Man shit, at that age I ran around trying to finger **** people. No one really let me, but still.
Click to expand...

Maybe a kid living a life with cancer didn't exactly get to grow up and mature as fast as you in the same way? The kid has a difficult time even being a kid.
 
Dude, that is awesome that so many people would pitch in to make this kid's dream come true.
 
it would have been nice if they found a ****ing cure for cancer for the boy

1b8ed9fe.jpg
 
Hey wow I didn't know Hitler was still alive and was actually several people on this forum.

THAT'S YOU HATERS YOU'RE HITLER.
 
To all the haters in this thread.

A) **** you.

B) You have no idea how these foundations work. I do, i've actually had a wish granted by the Australian equivalent of the Make-A-Wish foundation.

What happens is a consultant comes out and tells the family what the organization is capable of doing for them. Then once the parents and child have decided on an acceptable wish they are put onto a waiting list and are told it could take years depending on the severity of the disorder and the complexity of the wish for the wish to come true. I'd say it's more than likely this kid waited for more than 2 years to have his granted. I waited two years for mine and mine was incredibly simple by comparison (to meet Michael Jordan) so the chances are that this kid made his wish when he was younger than 13, probably closer to 10-11

C) This:
Raziaar said:
Maybe a kid living a life with cancer didn't exactly get to grow up and mature as fast as you in the same way? The kid has a difficult time even being a kid.
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- more than likely has something to do with it as well.
 
Damn shame well at least he'll be a bit happier for a while.
 
Sparta, out of curiosity, what is the range on the severity of the disorders that these organisations tend to? I know someone with Cerebral Pasly who was able to meet Steve Austin, but where do they draw the line when it comes to the severity of the disease?
 
ZT said:
THAT KID IS DYING HE WANTS TO BE A MUTHERFOCKING SUPER HERO YOU ARE ALL ASSHOLES YOU KNOW IF IT SAID HE WAS 8 U ALL WOULDA BEEN LIKE AWWW, BUT NO, JUST CUZ HE'S A 13 YEAR OLD BLACK KID YOU ALL GOTTA BE MEAN
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this is hl2.net, anything but cynicism does not go unpunished

also, he was probably 8 when we requested the wish but they took so damn long (oh, what sparta said ^)
 
It would really suck if they only granted you different levels of wishes depending on the severity of your illness.

Anyone remember that episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm with the kid's dying wish was to see a naked woman?
 
Wow....a kid who makes Stevie from Malcom in the Middle look friggin cool.

Um...I would lol my ass off at this but....kids sorta dying of cancer sooo...fair game I guess.
 
nurizeko's wish from the foundation: ''i just want to have a real girlfriend, just this once''
 
knut said:
nurizeko's wish from the foundation: ''i just want to have a real girlfriend, just this once''
Click to expand...

You're doing it wrong.

Nurizeko: "I wish the foundation would tell everyone to get a girlfriend"

Would have been a more apt joshing.

But the thread isn't about my wish...wait do you know something about my heart wrenching cancer status that I don't?


Oh **** its end-stage pancreatic, isn't it????

:x
 
but that would of looked like good friendly banter, having a laugh at your posts and being all jolly about it. the reality is i just think you're a **** who posts stupid things about girlfriends.

anyway, this story is ace. good on the kid and the foundation.
 
Also, knuts post was way funnier... So there's always that.
 
knut said:
but that would of looked like good friendly banter, having a laugh at your posts and being all jolly about it. the reality is i just think you're a **** who posts stupid things about girlfriends.

anyway, this story is ace. good on the kid and the foundation.
Click to expand...
Nuri got told.
 
nurizeko said:
...That someone over the internet on a gaming forum doesn't like me.

The novelty of the situation amazes! :thumbs:
Click to expand...
Statements like these never cease to amaze me. :thumbs:

Remember when you were kids and you'd play cops and robbers or whatever, and there was always that one shit who'd get 'shot' and be like "well I wasn't ready yet so it doesn't count." That's you. That's what you sound like.

Protip: we're all aware we're on the internet, posting on a gaming forum. Spelling it out like that doesn't make you sound like any less of a basement dweller than the rest of us.
 
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