Published: Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Mukilteo has new top cop -- for a day
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Mukilteo Police Department photo
Alex Eanes, 7, of Lynnwood, shows off his police chief uniform with parents Helen and Kelby Eanes. Alex was one of severally chronically ill children who took part in Chief for a Day last week.
LYNNWOOD -- Alex Eanes made a rather dashing police chief.
Gold stars adorned his collar, and gold embroidery marked his name above the right pocket. The dark blue suit he wore Wednesday was a little short.
Alex, 7, of Lynnwood, has a thyroid condition that makes him grow abnormally fast.
During a fitting a few weeks ago, a tailor left Alex an extra half-inch of pant leg in case he grew. By last week, Alex had grown at least twice that much.
He joined about 20 other kids at Chief for a Day, a biennial celebration for chronically ill children. Police departments from around the state brought kids to the event, hosted by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.
Alex has been diagnosed with several conditions including diabetes, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Hashimoto's, an auto-immune disease that attacks his thyroid. A few months ago, he also was diagnosed with vitiligo, which causes his skin to lose pigment. The late pop star Michael Jackson had a similar diagnosis.
Alex is doing alright, but his health plummets every few months, said his mom, Helen Eanes.
Last year, the Mukilteo Police Department asked local schools to nominate kids who might be good candidates for chief. This was the second time the department participated.
Mukilteo police also raised money to buy toys for Alex and the other "little chiefs," Cmdr. Chuck Macklin said. He and Officer Cheol Kang had a blast hanging out at the event.
They took Alex to sit in a King County Sheriff's Office helicopter, meet with Sea Gals and see someone get Tasered.
"We just catered to him, whatever he wanted to do," Kang said Wednesday. "He was the chief."
On the way home from the event in Burien, Alex fell asleep in the squad car within minutes.
"He had a very big day," Kang said.
Alex has always wanted to be a police officer, his mother said. When he found out he made chief in January, he wanted to get donuts to celebrate.
"He thought it was so exciting," she said. "He wanted to have his uniform right away."
Even though Alex already has outgrown his police uniform, the Eanes family plans to save it indefinitely.
"He was so proud," Eanes said. "He looked amazing."
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
Gold stars adorned his collar, and gold embroidery marked his name above the right pocket. The dark blue suit he wore Wednesday was a little short.
Alex, 7, of Lynnwood, has a thyroid condition that makes him grow abnormally fast.
During a fitting a few weeks ago, a tailor left Alex an extra half-inch of pant leg in case he grew. By last week, Alex had grown at least twice that much.
He joined about 20 other kids at Chief for a Day, a biennial celebration for chronically ill children. Police departments from around the state brought kids to the event, hosted by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.
Alex has been diagnosed with several conditions including diabetes, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Hashimoto's, an auto-immune disease that attacks his thyroid. A few months ago, he also was diagnosed with vitiligo, which causes his skin to lose pigment. The late pop star Michael Jackson had a similar diagnosis.
Alex is doing alright, but his health plummets every few months, said his mom, Helen Eanes.
Last year, the Mukilteo Police Department asked local schools to nominate kids who might be good candidates for chief. This was the second time the department participated.
Mukilteo police also raised money to buy toys for Alex and the other "little chiefs," Cmdr. Chuck Macklin said. He and Officer Cheol Kang had a blast hanging out at the event.
They took Alex to sit in a King County Sheriff's Office helicopter, meet with Sea Gals and see someone get Tasered.
"We just catered to him, whatever he wanted to do," Kang said Wednesday. "He was the chief."
On the way home from the event in Burien, Alex fell asleep in the squad car within minutes.
"He had a very big day," Kang said.
Alex has always wanted to be a police officer, his mother said. When he found out he made chief in January, he wanted to get donuts to celebrate.
"He thought it was so exciting," she said. "He wanted to have his uniform right away."
Even though Alex already has outgrown his police uniform, the Eanes family plans to save it indefinitely.
"He was so proud," Eanes said. "He looked amazing."
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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