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5-Year-Old Boy Gets To Live SWAT Training Dream

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A 5-year old Sacramento boy always dreamed of joining the SWAT team, and recently, that dream came true.

Madhi Fabianke didn't tell his family members that he had written a letter to the Sacramento Sheriff's SWAT Team. But with the help of this 10-year-old brother Yusuf the two boys wrote a letter explaining why Mahdi is qualified to apply.

"He was talking about how strong he is, that he's fast, that he's responsible because he takes care of his mother," said Sheriff Deputy James Petrinovich.

It's been a difficult last few years for Mahdi. His mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and leukemia in 2014.

"She has cancer and she's very sick and I take care of her," said Mahdi.

Wednesday was his big day: a chance to show how strong he is. With the help of the Sheriff's department and his school, Natomas Park Elementary, Mahdi was given an opportunity to try out for the sheriff's department SWAT team.

In front of 800 kids, the Sheriff's department started him off with an interview and then an obstacle course to test his strength.

"I'm so proud of him, so proud," said Yusuf.

"My son writing this letter saying that I want to take care of my mom because she has cancer -- it just shows that even 5-year-old kids have a heart, that they want to take care of their mom," said Miriam, Mahdi's mother.

Mahdi's grandmother, Shakilla, was a linguist for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan and was proud to see her grandson be given this opportunity.

"The dream I had when I was young he's now doing. It just makes me happy," said his grandmother.

And now that Mahdi is an honorary member of the team, his mom says, "nothing in the world I can ask for right now, except seeing that smile on my son's face. I know that this is his dream. He's so obsessed with it, that this is gonna be with him forever."

 

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