TOWN OF WALLKILL – When Brayden Ackermann, who is 2 ½, was
in Westchester Medical Center being treated for his inoperable brain cancer,
he became enamored by the fire trucks and helicopters he saw from his
hospital window.
So, when Bill Cummings of Wallkill learned about it, he pulled together
friends from the Circleville Fire Department and from Hudson Valley Helicopters
of Saugerties, and on Tuesday gave Brayden the thrill of a lifetime.
A shiny, big red fire truck rolled up to his house in Wallkill, picked
up his parents and twin brother, and brought them to the Wallkill Little
League Park with a red helicopter landing as Brayden pointed with excitement.
Once his dad, Michael, and he were strapped in, off they went for a 10
minute flight over Orange County.
Once they landed, Brayden got out of the chopper in his dad’s arm
with a big smile on his face as his grandparents watched in admiration.
His mom, Michelle and his twin brother were ready for their opportunity
to fly.
Brayden’s condition appeared when he developed a weakness on the
right side of his body one morning when he woke up, his dad reflected.
They brought him to the children’s hospital at Westchester Medical
Center where they did a CT scan and MRI and determined it was a cancer
with the initials DIPG. “He’s been doing real good so it makes
it easy,” his dad said.
When helicopter company owner Jeff Lyons heard about Brayden, he volunteered
his time and use of his helicopter to take the youngster on the ride of
his life.
