Police from dozens of departments show up in force to support boy battling cancer at Children's Hospital

Fox Chapel, Sewickley and Plum police officers were among the cavalcade of crime fighters that came out Tuesday to support a boy battling cancer at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Police from 76 departments spanning Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Westmoreland, McKean and Washington counties rode in 87 vehicles around the facility and delivered police shoulder patches, other gifts and notes of encouragement to Joshua Eastman, 8, of Kane, McKean County.

The effort was coordinated by Allegheny County Police crime prevention/community relations officer Joe Risher.

Risher said a UPMC police officer collected the items on behalf of all the officers, who were not allowed into the hospital due to covid protocols.

Joshua has been at the hospital for 52 days fighting leukemia. He and several family members were able to watch the parade of police cars from inside.

He received the attention of law enforcement around the country through his social media posts about his love of police patches.

“The young man’s battling a disease that could take his life,” Fox Chapel Police Chief Michael Stevens said. “It’s the least we could do as a department to show support to that young man, and anyone suffering from cancer.”

SUPPORTING JOSHUA: 8-year-old Joshua Eastman is battling cancer at UPMC Children’s. He collects police patches and wants to be an officer one day. Today more than 60 PA police depts paraded by his window and delivered more than 100 patches. I’ll have this story tonight on @WPXI pic.twitter.com/b7DfdMUT2P

— Pete DeLuca WPXI (@PeteDeLucaTV) February 1, 2022

Sewickley Officer David Yurkovac represented his department in the procession.

Police Chief Dave Mazza said Yurkovac is a member of Allegheny County’s crime prevention program, and was pleased he was able to bring some joy to Joshua.

“It got an overwhelming response,” Mazza said. “You get a better turnout when you have every department in the county working together toward a common goal.

“One of the reasons police officers become police officers is to help people. When police get a rare opportunity in an unfortunate situation to put a smile on a sick child’s face, that’s kind of why you show up to your shift every day. Those officers that participated will never forget Joshua.”

Plum Sgt. Eric Zdobinski and officer Grant Faulkner delivered several patches.

“Officer Faulkner and I were honored to represent Plum Borough Police Department in showing support and encouragement to Joshua and his family and hope that we helped to make his day a little brighter,” Zdobinski said.

Other local departments that participated include Aspinwall, Brentwood, Bridgeville, Churchill, Collier, Duquesnse, Edgeworth, Monroeville, Munhall, Penn Hills, Pitcairn, Pittsburgh, Pleasant Hills, Sharpsburg, Springdale, West Homestead, West Mifflin and Wilkinsburg.