Published June 6, 2014 03:27PM
8-Year-Old Boy is Yosemite Ranger for a Day
He helped out with firefighting and a mock hiker rescue.
'image: NPS'
When the Make-A-Wish foundation offered 8-year-old Gabriel LaVan Ying a trip, he chose an unusual destination: Yosemite National Park.
Ying, of Gainesville, Florida, got to be a park ranger for a day earlier this week, reports NBC, assisting park staff with wildland firefighting and a mock rescue of an injured hiker.
Ying has Elhers-Danlos Syndrome, which damages connective tissues in the body and causes overly flexible joints.
Ying’s gallant efforts earned him an Honorary Park Ranger badge, a wooden park ranger plaque, and a flag that once flew over Yosemite Valley.
Marissa Gajos, the Make-a-Wish coordinator for Ying’s chapter in Florida, said she had never received a similar request from any other wish recipient.
Read more: NBC