ANDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — A young boy in Anderson County got a special Christmas surprise Tuesday night — a parade just for him.
Levi Moore and Lincoln Moore are both 5 years old. They're twins who spent their lives together. When Levi was younger though, he was diagnosed with spina bifida. It's a rare spinal disorder when a child's spine does not develop properly, possibly leading to many other issues.
Both were looking forward to the Clinton Christmas Parade on Dec. 4 but had to miss out on it. Their parents said they had cases of stomach flu and could not go.
When first responders in Anderson County heard about it, they acted to give the children their own Christmas parade.
"We heard you guys didn't get to come to the parade, right? Well, we're here," said Jamie Brewster, chief of the Briceville Volunteer Fire Department. "You need to go take a ride in a firetruck since you're an honorary fireman of Anderson County."
First responders lined don't eh street near Levi's home, flashing their lights and cheering for the family that gathered outside.
"He looked up at me, like, 'Hey, I'll never be a fireman,' right from his wheelchair. So I was like, 'We gotta do something for this little feller,'" said Brewster. "He was excited to blow the horn, I'd say 30 or 40 or more times."
He said that the point of gathering so many first responders and organizing a parade was to make sure that Levi and Lincoln had a memory that would follow them all their lives. Brewster said he wanted them to look back fondly on this Christmas.
"Honestly, this time of year, this is what it's about," said Russel Barker, the Anderson County Sheriff. "We want to make sure that we're reaching out to folks."
Officials also gave Levi some gifts during the parade. It was all a surprise for Levi.