Health Team

Make-A-Wish helped a 10-year-old superhero stop a bank robbery and rescue someone from a burning building

Many kids dream of meeting their heroes. But 10-year-old Gaige Pike from Florida wanted to be a hero — specifically, a crime-fighting robot.

Posted Updated

By
Caroline Catherman
and
Christina Zdanowicz, CNN
CNN — Many kids dream of meeting their heroes. But 10-year-old Gaige Pike from Florida wanted to be a hero — specifically, a crime-fighting robot.

Make-A-Wish America said that Gaige, who has a serious heart condition, asked to be transformed from himself into ROBOGaige.

"I really just wanted to save people," Gaige told CNN affiliate WESH.

On Thursday, his wish came true.

Make-A-Wish America said they worked with multiple organizations for almost three months to build a supersuit and set up a fake bank robbery, complete with a bad guy. ROBOGaige fired a laser and helped police arrest the robber in a video on the Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida Facebook page.

ROBOGaige then helped firefighters put out a fire. He rode on the fire truck's ladder to rescue an actor from a burning building in another video.

"Before he couldn't really participate in being a kid. He couldn't run around and play, and do anything like this at all," his mom, Amanda Pike, told WESH. "It's the best day of his entire life."

As a grand finale, Gaige rescued a man from a simulated building collapse, as shown in a video posted by the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

After the daring rescue, firefighters held his arms up in victory while a crowd chanted, "ROBOGaige! ROBOGaige!"

He could have chosen any wish, but he said he wanted to help others. Gaige received multiple awards from grateful citizens.

He was sworn in as an honorary deputy and firefighter and Mickey Mouse even came from Disney World to give Gaige a special award, as shown in a ceremony posted to the Make-A-Wish page.

His mom says that this praise is well deserved.

"He is one of the most generous and kind souls that I've ever met in my whole life," she told WESH. "He is my hero."

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