For eight-year-old Callum, sitting in the driver’s seat of a police car was more than just a special moment.
It was something to tick off his bucket list.
Callum, from Riverside, has Sanfilippo syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes progressive brain damage and severe physical and mental decline, often described as childhood dementia.
He was diagnosed when he was four-and-a-half.
The condition has a devastatingly short life expectancy.
His mum, Sarah Beattie-Stevens, said half of children with Sanfilippo syndrome do not make it to their 10th birthday, while the remaining half do not make it to adulthood.
Callum turns nine in November, meaning his family is approaching that 10-year milestone.
With Callum’s condition terminal and no treatment or cure currently available, his family and support team have put together a list of experiences for him to enjoy.
A ride in a police car was high on that list.
Tasmania Police’s Community Engagement Team visited Callum at home before his adventure continued at Launceston Police Station, where he met more officers and PD Nikki, the police dog.
Callum even got behind the wheel.
“He sat in the driver’s seat and turned the wheel a little bit,” Beattie-Stevens told Pulse
It was a fitting experience for a boy who has always loved being in the car.
“As a younger child we really thought he just wanted to be like a race car driver or something because he’d sit in the front seat of the car and just turn the wheel for hours if you let him,” Beattie-Stevens said.
Callum’s bucket list still has plenty left to tick off.
There is a visit to a waterfall, a trip to the water park at Scottsdale Aquatic Centre and the chance to play in the snow.
But one item stands above all the others.
“The biggest one on the list is meeting The Wiggles because he’s always been a huge Wiggles fan and still is,” Beattie-Stevens said.
The family has already bought tickets to see The Wiggles in Launceston in December and plans to contact the group to see if Callum can meet them before or after the show.
“That would be amazing,” she said.
For his mother, making the most of those experiences is particularly important as Callum’s condition can change quickly.
“He’s gonna miss out on a lifetime of all the amazing things that you and I get to experience,” Beattie-Stevens said.
“It’s really unpredictable and you really do have to just make the most of every single day that you’ve got with him.”
“So providing him these little bits of special opportunities is really important to us.”
The police visit was one of those moments, with officers making time to spend with Callum, sing Wiggles songs and help make his wish come true.
“They were super lovely,” Beattie-Stevens said.
“Everybody was just super friendly and accommodating.”
And now there is another date on the calendar – December, Launceston and a very special bucket-list item waiting to be ticked off.
