West Midlands Police have helped a young police-enthusiast youngster to fulfil his ambition of being a police officer for one 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.
West Midlands police also presented Oscar and younger brother Charlie who live with their mum Dani and dad Alex in Kingstanding, with their very own West Midlands Police warrant cards as a memento of their shift.
In February of 2020, Oscar was sadly diagnosed with Batten Disease.
Batten disease is a rare group of nervous system disorders called neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCLs) that get worse over time. It usually starts in childhood, between the ages of 5 and 10. There are different forms of the disease but all are fatal, usually by the late teens or twenties.
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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 we 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 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.”
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 over £30,000.
Oscar’s 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.
One of the West Midlands 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, Oscar was waiting at the finish line with a congratulatory high five.
You can check out the Go Fund Me Page set up for young Oscar here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/oscars-bucket-list-of-dreams
Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
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