ARCADE, N.Y. — A 12-year-old boy from Arcade is being celebrated as a superhero as he courageously fights for his life due to a rare disorder.
Alex Heldwein, or "Super Alex" as he's known by his friends and family, suffers from Hunter's Syndrome, a rare condition in which the body doesn't properly break down sugar molecules. As a result, organs and tissue are damaged, impacting one's mental and physical abilities.
After several long stints in the hospital, Alex was recently discharged from Oishei Children's Hospital and sent home where he will spend the remainder of his days surrounded by loved ones.
In a sign of support, members of Alex's community came to gather on Sunday to host a parade in celebration of his life, and to show him just how much he means to those around him.
Emily Hyman helped organize Sunday's parade. She told 2 On Your Side, "Alex is such a special person. He's taught us all to laugh, smile, and love on the worst days possible, and Alex has had a pretty rough time, so if this was his last wish, I hope we accomplished it, because he deserves it."
Another supporter, Alicia Zink, told 2 On Your Side, "It's a small community so it's just nice to, you know, have everyone come together for him."
A caravan of cars, fire trucks, emergency vehicles and more paraded down the streets of Arcade as Alex, his family, and friends watched on. Not even the rain could stop them.
"It's amazing," Alex's mom, Lisa Heldwein, said. "This community has really been a support system for us."
Alex's dad, David, said, "Seeing the community come out in such good numbers in this rain is really amazing. It shows just how much everyone really loves and cares for Alex. We're very appreciative of it."
Alex's family says when the time comes, they will be donating his organs to science to help advance studies and to help other families such as theirs cope.