Hollywood police help grant the wish of a boy with autism by participating in Flat Caleb adventures.
Flat Caleb has met the Hollywood police chief, hung out with SWAT members, rode around with the bike unit and even went surfing on the Hollywood Broadwalk.
Flat Caleb is a cut out picture of the "real” Caleb Neely, a 10-year-old Missouri boy with autism who loves police officers.
"He met a police officer a couple years ago at his birthday party and he decided that he wanted to meet as many police officers as he could," said Caleb’s mom, Amy Neely.
To make that happen mom came up with the Flat Caleb, which is a project based on the children’s book ‘Flat Stanley’.
Neely has been sending a cut out of her son to police departments around the U.S. and even out of the country. The police officers take pictures of him learning about what it takes to be a cop.
"The response has been really heartwarming to see," said Neely.
This week, Flat Caleb has been hanging out with the Hollywood Police Department. Officers have gone all out, creating a second, much larger cut out of the 10-year-old. Flat Caleb has spent time with pretty much every unit in the department.
”Officers are taking a few seconds out of their day to take a picture and make a child happy,” said civilian spokesperson Miranda Grossman.
Caleb’s mom will send the cut out to any police department that asks, as long as they send pictures back for the family's scrapbook.
"He can take that with him to doctor’s appointments or where it is that we might go that he’s anxious or scared. That helps him get through those times," said Neely.
The officers at Hollywood will keep Flat Caleb as a reminder that a simple act of kindness can make a world of difference in someone’s life.
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"To Caleb these people are heroes. It doesn't take much, but to Caleb it is the world and there are several times that he'll say ‘I can't believe these people are doing this just for me,’” said the boy’s mother.
For anyone who would like to bring Flat Caleb to their police department contact Amy Neely on Facebook or email amy_neely@hotmail.com.
