Police have helped a police-mad youngster fulfil an ambition of being an officer for a day – one of 30 dream days on brave Oscar Jealous’s bucket list.
The eight-year-old spent the day with us at Bournville police station where he got behind the wheel of a police car, played custody sergeant in our cell block, and was on cuddle duty with a litter of police pups.
And Police also presented Oscar and younger brother Charlie – who lives with mum Dani and dad Alex in Kingstanding – with their very own West Midlands Police warrant cards as a memento of their shift.
In February, Oscar was diagnosed with Batten Disease.
It’s a life-limiting degenerative condition that has already taken Oscar’s sight and in time will leave him needing round-the-clock specialist care.
Oscar’s aunty is PC Laura Colclough, a response officer with us in Birmingham, and when she told us about her nephew’s bucket list Police were only too happy to help.
She said: “Oscar and Charlie are both obsessed with the police – probably from having an aunty that catches robbers – so being a police officer was one of the first entries on his bucket list.
“Oscar has lost almost all his sight now due to the condition but there are lots of sounds in a police station to keep him entertained, not least the police car sirens and the slam of the cell door as he locked me up!
“He’s had a fantastic day and it’s heart-warming to see the smile on his face.”
PC Colclough and her wife created a Go Fund Me page with a £10,000 target to help Oscar realise his dreams and to pay for specialist care equipment. They’ve already smashed that target with donations now totalling around £30,000.
His bucket list also includes going on the set of his favourite TV show Tipping Point and meeting Harry Kane – both of which have already been pledged – plus flying in a helicopter, meeting Father Christmas in Lapland and going up the Eiffel Tower.
And one of our firearms officers, PC Glenn Brabham, has taken on a gruelling marathon with a difference to raise money for Oscar.
He ran a marathon distance while wearing his police body armour which weighs just over three stone – and got a high-five from Oscar at the finish line.
Laura added: “We are truly overwhelmed with the offers of support, many from people who don’t know us, and I cannot thank people enough for getting behind us to give Oscar some time to remember.”