James Taylor, the five-year-old boy who captured the hearts of people across southern New Brunswick, has died.
The Saint John Police Force confirmed Taylor’s passing in a tweet shortly after 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
His death came just hours after residents of Greater Saint John came together to help grant his final wish.
Taylor was in palliative care at the Saint John Regional Hospital. He was diagnosed with a genetic disorder and was suffering from liver failure.
His last wish was to have a parade of police vehicles, fire trucks, construction vehicles, antique cars, motorcycles and more.
That led to the “Parade for James,” which saw hundreds of vehicles drive past the hospital on Saturday morning.
“The turnout has been amazing, far more than we had ever anticipated at the beginning,” said Kristin McCurdy, provincial director of Make-A-Wish Canada.
“A lot of people have brought joy to this family today.”
Taylor, surrounded by family members, watched the parade from his hospital bed, which staff had wheeled outside to an old ambulance bay.
Many people who took part in the parade dropped off gifts and handmade cards for the young boy, which soon filled a table that was set up along the route.
Taylor was referred to Make-A-Wish last week, McCurdy said, and they set the wheels in motion to make his wish come true.
Several site visits were conducted so they could ensure the best route around the hospital without affecting emergency services or the transit route, she said.
The organization worked with the Saint John Police Force to ensure the parade would run as smoothly as possible.
Deputy Chief Tony Hayes said they first learned of Taylor’s wish on Wednesday and knew the turnout would be huge.
Hayes said many of his members volunteered their time Saturday morning to help with the event.
“It was all hands on deck and anybody that wanted to come in came in and they just started filling different roles,” said Hayes.
“We also have our team that’s working today. They came over and assisted as we all coordinated together.”
A spokesperson with the force estimated more than 1,000 vehicles took part during the parade, which lasted for more than an hour.
“This just shows what we have for a community,” said Hayes. “I’m sure there are people from here and there are people from far away that came.”
McCurdy, meanwhile, said they were so glad that they were able to make Taylor’s wish a reality.
“For us, we like to say that a wish is an essential part of a child’s treatment journey,” she said. “It’s really not just for the child, it’s for the whole family, and in this case the whole community.”
“We’ve been in COVID-19 for over a year now and this is a very safe way for people to come out, volunteer, show some support for a local cause to be giving back.”
The event was also live-streamed on the Make-A-Wish Canada, New Brunswick Facebook page so those who were not able to take part could watch in person.
First responders from around the region are among the more than hundreds of people taking part today. pic.twitter.com/0YiyAsk1C6
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) April 24, 2021
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