'We'll always have his back': Child cancer patient in Iowa made honorary police officer
The wail of police sirens spurred a smile across 11-year-old Blake Bonta's face Tuesday evening. His fifth-grade teacher, guiding a police cruiser down Urbandale's city streets, said the sight of his student grinning from the passenger seat marked a high point in his 32-year career.
In January of 2023, Bonta's father, Justin Bonta, said a strange development in his son's health led to a cancer diagnosis.
"He woke up one day and he had no coordination," Justin Bonta said. "We took him to Blank (Children's Hospital) and after a CAT scan, they found a mass in the back of his brain."
Bonta was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, a brain and spinal cancer. Bonta was removed from his fifth-grade class to undergo treatment, causing him to miss his final days as an elementary school student, including a goodbye ceremony outside the school.
Although Bonta was no longer learning inside Olmsted Elementary, his teacher and the school's reserve police officer, Todd Pettit, continued to follow Bonta's journey in the classroom.
"He stayed home and my class wrote him letters and sent him gifts and stuff, so he was not in our class, but he was a big part of our class," Pettit said. "It taught my kids a lot about toughness, a lot about endurance and not giving up."
The effort provided Bonta comfort and community during treatment, at a time his parents said can be isolating.
Next Wednesday, Bonta will undergo another scan to assess if treatment needs to continue. Before he goes, Pettit advocated for another way to support Bonta.
Bonta was named an honorary member of the Urbandale Police Department on Tuesday, complete with his own custom Urbandale police polo. Officer Pettit picked Bonta up in his cruiser and drove him around Urbandale, including a stop at his elementary school where Bonta waved goodbye to the school staff since he had to miss the previous ceremony.
Bonta was also given a station tour and met other officers and police chief Rob Johansen, who gifted him a police cruiser prototype from his personal collection. Then, the police force escorted Bonta into the city council meeting where he took an oath, making his day of service official.
"He has a family behind him now, he has the blue family. We'll always have his back, and we'll always be there for him. If he needs anything, just to let him know that he's not alone," Pettit said.