SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - His wish isn't to go to Disneyland or meet a Superhero.
No, Ethan Dean has a different wish. The 6-year-old wants to be a garbage man for a day.
And garbage man he shall be.
The Sacramento Bee reports the Make-A-Wish Foundation has teamed up with Waste Management to make a dream come true today. Ethan has cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that causes severe damage to the lungs; there is no cure.
Ethan will ride on a garbage truck through midtown and downtown Sacramento, stopping at five spots along the way to pick up trash and recyclables. Organizers are hoping to line the streets with well-wishers.
"He's just always loved garbage trucks," said his dad, Ken Dean.
They're also hoping for a big crowd at the Capitol, where Mayor-elect Darrell Steinberg and Police Chief Sam Somers will honor Ethan.
The whole day is a surprise and will be much different from a regular day, where he spends up to 15 minutes breathing mist from a nebulizer.
Then he puts on a mechanical vest for 20 minutes that shakes his chest, trying to break up mucus in his lungs, the newspaper reported. When he eats, he takes enzymes to help him digest his food. He does it all over again each night before bed.
"He's so used to it, it's no longer an issue," his dad said.
Ethan was just two weeks old when he was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. And though he must take daily preventative measures, his condition hasn't slowed him down. He plays soccer and swims and he's obsessed with "Star Wars." And today, he'll live out his dream - on a garbage truck.