6-year-old cancer patient sworn in as honorary Fort Worth police officer

Jessika Harkay
·2 min read

Six-year-old Rylan Pruitt was dressed in blue and black, with his Fort Worth Police Department uniform shirt decorated with the police department’s badges and his last name embroidered near a front pocket. He wore blue and red Spider-Man shoes Wednesday morning as he was sworn in as an honorary police officer.

With his right hand lifted, and joined by Police Chief Neil Noakes, Rylan recited a pledge “to faithfully execute the duties of the office of peace officer of the state of Texas” and to do his best to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States and of this state.”

Last May, Rylan had a headache, which throughout multiple days was joined by nausea. When the then 5-year-old was taken to a doctor, it was revealed that he had a brain tumor, which was later diagnosed as medulloblastoma, a cancer of the cerebellum. The little boy was taken to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, where he underwent months of chemotherapy and radiation sessions.

Six-year-old Rylan Pruitt was dressed in blue and black, with his Fort Worth Police Department uniform shirt that was decorated with the police department’s badges and his last name near a front pocket. He wore blue and red Spider-Man shoes Wednesday morning as he was sworn in as an honorary police officer.
Six-year-old Rylan Pruitt was dressed in blue and black, with his Fort Worth Police Department uniform shirt that was decorated with the police department’s badges and his last name near a front pocket. He wore blue and red Spider-Man shoes Wednesday morning as he was sworn in as an honorary police officer.

At the end of his chemo, Rylan’s scans revealed a new spot on his spine. Since then, it’s become a community effort to uplift the 6-year-old’s spirit and provide support for his family.

“The support that Texas has for its community is just overwhelming,” Marisa Pruitt, Rylan’s mother, said. “I don’t know how to describe it. … I’ve grown up here and I would never go anywhere else.”

Pruitt described that in a joint effort between the police department and community members, they were able to organize a giant parade for the 6-year-old’s birthday earlier in the month.

“We were hoping to have like 20 to 30 cars at his birthday celebration parade … and there was over 1,000 vehicles and he couldn’t have been happier,” she said. “Rylan was just blown away by monster trucks and Spider-Man and everyone who showed up.”

Six-year-old Rylan Pruitt was dressed in blue and black, with his Fort Worth Police Department uniform shirt that was decorated with the police department’s badges and his last name near a front pocket. He wore blue and red Spider-Man shoes Wednesday morning as he was sworn in as an honorary police officer.
Six-year-old Rylan Pruitt was dressed in blue and black, with his Fort Worth Police Department uniform shirt that was decorated with the police department’s badges and his last name near a front pocket. He wore blue and red Spider-Man shoes Wednesday morning as he was sworn in as an honorary police officer.

Rylan is expected to undergo additional scans in early March to determine if the spot in his spine has grown.

A GoFundMe campaign, which has raised over $10,800 as of Wednesday morning, has provided updates to the 6-year-old’s condition throughout the last year and continues to raise money for his family.