Local News

Watch: Immunocompromised Tewksbury boy gets surprise birthday parade

When the coronavirus pandemic cancelled his birthday party, friends and family got behind the wheel to keep the celebration going.

Sunbeams and a rainbow sign set the scene on Sunday as a Tewksbury boy waited in his yard for a big surprise.  

Related Links

“Auntie, she called a few friends and they’re going to have a birthday parade for you,” Erin Boudreau told her son, Walker, who whipped his head toward the road where a line of over 45 cars drove by yelling out their windows. 

“Look at this, holy moly,” she said in a recording of the socially distant celebration posted to Facebook. 

https://www.facebook.com/erinstumpy/videos/10157921181370490/

Her son, who just turned 8, leaned back and laughed hysterically. 

Boudreau told WCVB 5 News that with her son being immunocompromised — his body doesn’t produce enough immunoglobulin G, which helps prevent infections — and the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to cancel his planned party. 

Advertisement:

So his family and friends brought the festivities to him.

First in line was a Tewksbury fire truck, which honked twice and rang a few bells, leaving Walker in a fit of giggles on his lawn. 

The next car sported gobs of blue-and-red balloons and a couple birthday signs, with passengers waving out the windows. 

Many vehicles followed suit with streamers, balloons, signs, people waving, and one car that even fired off a party popper, coating the street with confetti.

To top things off, four Tewksbury police cars trailed behind the parade with their sirens on and officers waving. 

“Okay, I think they overdid it,” Walker said in the video while grinning ear-to-ear. 

Advertisement:

Police posted photos to Facebook, too, saying they were glad to take part in the celebrations. 

https://www.facebook.com/TewksburyPD/posts/1792752480867596?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDm76etxXtCzOhJXvCE2Hj-4Bdhv468fcU57CVY5tbSKbPGjxttzajNAECepMIogptKEtGWqSERhdIsw2AIRqYv1SF9lLQFH5fSg-HAPX7tV00Cg8MJu7QM2F7XhIw7mAzc9yi-K5bgTtPtKs4Getl5WpEQM0b6zqJnXekwNXYqvbZ5RHtvM9CqOXXSE9Vi_VT-PKafygDo5O3S7qT8Y7XfaLtJCYKn6wL_-07H1f3BOG3kVco2IDJEWNEXpzU00klZ1W4Q1P7AuJYH971ueiPtH483-YyybNGHtlQhpHe74fDQFYYG9JTJm2gMwodJ4qS8gV4njfe5CVogra_TQMPveA&__xts__%5B1%5D=68.ARA-jVEBYfbbRkDMlUGaeZKNu9KUqFwyNu2O6H6vSE6tZT-81ULyhbSDYm2EUSaKuOVbEYrLadSlqkYG1yCzEl1z6y20s9KJRokjSca_W4a-DLsnyNA9GEXpkhFl0j8oT0s2NfJbmXhiJKduhvQNUsrd5YyENA7R71hvMA71pvPD5bgkB5s2lXvGHdFOhZyjbfvfPazxWNX_OCHfZ32Um7H_tcBQLD-IxsiWZxW5ZxYCw541wuJiBO1fJZFcL-ONwqruiTbZFIvDJlXOmR59Z3ADyNtfmlKRKrtT20XzccT3IMDU6kBxg5XdY7ED2AASF37X2RP9-jd93s0P617lJGZHog&__tn__=-R

Thanks everyone for coming to Walker’s birthday parade,” Boudreau said in her post. “I am so overwhelmed by the love for our guy.” 

 

To comment, please create a screen name in your profile

Conversation

This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com