CAMBRIDGE — On Aug. 19, Jeremiah Shaw had a 10th birthday bash for the ages.
The town of Cambridge turned out in droves to make sure this boy felt appreciated with a parade down Foxtail Drive. There were bikers, school buses, fire trucks and tractor trailers.
The whole point was to ride by and put a smile on Shaw’s face.
Shaw has struggled with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, a neurodegenerative disease that causes him to have seizures. His mother, Maschell Hines, said he has been recently put in to hospice care and that this could be his last fall season.
“He is out of meds. There are no other meds they can give him. It is come and go. All we can do is change his diet and pray,” said Jeremiah’s father Chris Shaw.
“The condition is pretty hard. He has been dealing with it since he was two years old. We didn’t find a diagnosis until he was five. The hospital is like our second home. Hospice has been very hands-on. Very sweet. We started about a month ago. They work well with him. He has all types of seizures and runs a sudden risk of death,” said Maschell.
His father says Jeremiah struggles with memory. Pictures may be all he remembers of this parade in his mind, so they shot the whole thing with their phones.
“He loves bikes, motorcycles, fire trucks and ambulances,” Hines said. “This is his thing.”
Happy with the huge turnout, Hines looked at all the fire trucks coming to her normally quiet neighborhood.
One man jumped out of his truck and handed the boy a crisp $100 bill. The Cambridge Fire Rescue Company stopped and gave him a stuffed dalmation and an authentic fireman’s helmet.
Jeremiah Shaw gave the bent-arm trucker’s salute to get them to blare their horns.
Towards the end, the Dorchester County Sheriff’s K-9 unit pulled out a dog for him to pet.
“Thank you for everybody that came out to support him and show him love. It is really appreciated,” Hines said.
Chris Shaw said, “I definitely appreciate the turnout. It has definitely been amazing. Especially the community and the people you don’t know. The main thing is his condition. A lot of people think it is just his birthday, but it might be his last birthday.”
After about half an hour, all the sirens, horns and waving people had run their course, and Foxtail Drive got quiet. In front of his house was a pile of presents for Jeremiah Shaw to open. His new fireman’s helmet was there too.
Seeing all that fanfare, Jeremiah said, “I am happy.”
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