Shea McCaffrey, 9, of Hinesburg met president Barack Obama at the White House in September through Make-a-Wish Foundation of Vermont. He even signed his basketball, a dream-come-true after a two-year bout with cancer. Courtesy Photo
Secret service agents, Marine One, and Bo the dog are just a few of the perks Shea McCaffrey, 9, of Hinesburg enjoyed at the White House this month. Make-a-Wish Foundation of Vermont arranged for Shea to meet President Barack Obama. It was a dream-come-true after a two-year bout with cancer.
Shea has suffered several setbacks, and side effects, some of which are still lingering, but in general he is strong, happy, and looking forward to fourth grade, his mother Becky McCaffrey said.
“The Make-A-Wish trip was a wonderful gift for Shea,” Becky McCaffrey said. “Our group was treated like VIPs, and for a few days the world was as it should be, happy, fun, and full of adventure.”
Photos were taken by the official White House photographer, and not available for reprint.
Shea wrote an essay about the event. In it he writes:
On Tuesday Aug. 28, 2012, I woke up to the sound of my mom’s phone alarm, and then she woke up and said, “Today you’re going to see the President!”
After we got through security there were a bunch of Secret Service Agents waiting at the side entrance. One of them had a M4A1 assault rifle, and all the others had cool gadgets, and a dog. And, by the way, the dog’s name was Oscar. Basically, we thought they were there to protect and serve, but it turns out they were actually there to meet me, Shea McCaffrey, and tell me about their jobs.
When the president opened the door to the Oval Office he said, “Hi Shea, nice to meet you. I’ve been looking forward to seeing you.”
We talked. I told the president, “I like to play basketball and I heard you play basketball too.”
Before we left, Barack Obama gave us each a hug.
Marine One, Barack Obama’s helicopter, was on the front yard. On the way to the helicopter he waved to us. Then he got in and we waved good-bye. President Obama flew away for some kind of business.
Before I end my story, I want to say one thing, and one thing only, that is to Make-A-Wish, thank you, Heather, Janice, and Brooke for granting my wish and allowing me to meet the President of the United States.
Oh, and I also forgot to mention that after the helicopter left, we went inside and met the President’s dog, Bo, and that’s it for my story. Thank you all for reading my story.
Lynn Monty is a Free Press staff reporter. Contact her at lynnmonty@burlingtonfreepress.com and follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VermontSongbird.