Child with leukemia receives special surprise from law enforcement

On Wednesday, Law enforcement filled up a neighborhood to get down an important task, which put a smile on a child’s face.

Two-year-old Angad Palande has been battling leukemia for almost his entire life, and after some tough hospitalizations, his mom sent out a plea to the community for her son.

“You receive this kind of news, you know, your world turns upside down,” said Maddie Palande, Angad’s mother.

Maddie said she knew something was wrong when her baby was just 9 months old. He got sick over and over again.

“Everybody kept saying, ‘Well, he’s in a daycare. It’s very normal, very common,’ including his pediatrician,” Maddie said.

At 16 months old, Angad got so sick that he couldn’t sit up on his own. He wouldn’t eat and wouldn’t sleep.

Maddie rushed her boy back to his pediatrician and demanded blood work.

“Which is when we found out that he had leukemia,” Maddie said.

He started chemotherapy and has been in and out of the hospital.

A couple months ago, Maddie posted to her Facebook page called The Real Moms of Naples, telling Angad’s story and asking fellow mothers if they have any ideas how to surprise her son ahead of his October birthday, with none other than his favorite thing in the world: police cars.

“I posted it, you know: Where can I take him to see a police car up close? You know? He’s gonna lose his mind if he can,” she said.

Mom after mom began reaching out to Maddie, some saying that they had connections with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

Then, Corporal Matt Vaill reached out.

“He was like, ‘I want to make this event very special for him, and you know we can actually make it a lot bigger than you were imagining, expecting,'” Maddie said.

On Wednesday, Collier County deputies showed up with some friends.

Marco Island Police, even Florida Highway Patrol, showed up to the Palande’s front yard and driveway en masse with cars, motorcycles and even a boat.

“He sat in every single vehicle, including the boat, including the motorcycle, and he played with the sirens. He played with the lights, and he hugged every single officer. You know, fist bumps and smiles, and it was just a very special day for us, extremely special,” Maddie said.

All to give one special little boy the surprise of a lifetime, and surely he did enjoy it.

“It’s a keepsake, you know? These are memories for a lifetime, everlasting for sure,” Maddie said.

Angad is currently in the maintenance phase of chemo.

He has another year to go. Plus, he has surgical procedures nearly every month to protect his spinal cord and brain.

Maddie said that memories like this will outweigh the pain he is going through.

After the surprise, FHP sent WINK a statement saying troopers were so happy to share their time, and they sent well wishes to their new special friend.