Writer: Carol Kuruvilla for NY Daily News.
Miles Scott is a 5-year-old with leukemia who has always wanted to be Batkid. Thousands of volunteers, TV crews, and even President Obama teamed up with San Francisco’s Make-A-Wish foundation to make the child’s dream come true.
Batkid to the rescue!
Just one day into his crime-fighting career, young Miles Scott, 5, already had a fan club Friday as San Franciscans cheered on the cancer patient who always wanted to be a superhero. The kindergartener from Tulelake, California has plenty of experience battling villains — he’s been fighting leukemia since he was 18 months old. He wrapped up his treatment in June and is in remission now.
While he was struggling with the illness, Miles became fascinated with superheroes. They were crime-fighters and saviors. And they always won in the end.
JEFF CHIU/AP – Miles Scott, dressed as Batkid, second from left, exits the Batmobile with Batman to save a damsel in distress in San Francisco.
“Miles has always been a fighter,” his dad Nick Scott said. “He fought through cancer and he beat that. I think it goes hand in hand that he’s a fan of Batman and superheroes, as well.” There’s no telling if Miles’ cancer will return. But the child hasn’t lost his superhero spirit. When San Francisco’s Make-A-Wish Foundation asked Miles what he wanted more than anything in the world, the little guy said, “I wish to be Batkid.”
JEFF CHIU/AP – Batman and Batkid carefully deliberate their battle plan.
His wish came true today as San Francisco turned into Gotham City just for Miles. An estimated 12,000 Gotham City residents had Batkid’s back as he rushed to save their city. Police closed down major roads and his fans crowded the streets. Thanks to social media, crowds rooted for Batkid at every crime scene. The President and First Lady tweeted out their support from the White House. Obama later sent out a congratulatory Vine. <iframe class=”vine-embed” src=”https://vine.co/v/htbdjZAPrAX/embed/simple” width=”600″ height=”600″ frameborder=”0″></iframe><script async src=”//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
The day began with a breaking news story. San Francisco’s Police Chief Greg Suhr appeared on TV asking if anyone in town knows the whereabouts of Batkid. Suhr desperately needed Batkid’s help to save the city from the evil supervillains Riddler and Penguin. Miles, disguised as Batkid from head to toe, joined an adult-sized Batman and his baby brother as Robin as they hopped into two waiting Lamborghinis, aka Batmobiles.
At least 500 people looked on as Batkid rescued a damsel-in-distress from the HydeStreet cable-car tracks in Nob Hill. She was dressed in thigh-high black boots and her hands were bound behind her back. Batkid had to disable a plastic replica bomb to free the woman. It was a tricky job, but he managed to do it just before a cable car came crashing into the scene. The crowd went wild.
Gary Reyes/AP – Batkid surveys his city from a Lamborghini “Batmobile” as he and Batman get ready to stop a bank robbery in San Francisco.
Next, he stopped the Riddler from robbing a downtown vault. San Francisco police hauled the crook off in handcuffs and threw him into a paddy wagon.
RAMIN TALAIE/GETTY IMAGES – San Francisco police officers arrest the Riddler with the help of 5-year-old leukemia survivor Miles, also known as BatKid.
Even superheroes can’t fight crime on an empty stomach, so Batkid refueled with his parents at San Francisco’s Burger Bar. His meal of choice was a hamburger and fries. After lunch, San Francisco’s Police Chief asked Batkid to look outside the window. Hundreds of volunteer Gotham City residents were jumping up and down, pleading for Batkid’s help. Trouble was brewing. And this time, it was that slimey Penguin.
JEFF CHIU/AP – Daniel Fry holds up his daughter Kayla, 5, as they wait for Batkid’s to appear.
The ruthless criminal kidnapped San Francisco Giants’ mascot Lou Seal. Lou’s hands were tied together as Penguin drove off toward AT&T Park, Batkid close on their heels. At the park, the superhero found Lou tied up in a cage. He untied Lou’s hands while the adult Batman chased down Penguin. The villain begged for mercy, but another San Francisco cop hauled him away to face justice. The Chief of Police appeared on the Jumbotron to give Batkid a big “thank you” from the city.
Mayor Ed Lee honored Batkid at City Hall at day’s end. Then the exhausted hero resumed his life as mild-mannered Miles Scott.
The Chronicle distributed special-edition newspapers with the headline, “Batkid Saves City,” in Union Square.
JEFF CHIU/AP – A crowd holds up signs for Miles Scott, as Batkid, at a rally outside of City Hall in San Francisco.
The Justice Department also got in on the action, releasing a bristling indictment of the Riddler and Penguin. San Francisco’s chief federal prosecutor Attorney Melinda Haag and FBI agent David Johnson accused the villains of “performing all kinds of mayhem in Gotham, San Francisco, and parts unknown for an indefinite period of time.” Upon conviction, the fiends will be thrown in the slammer for 24 years. The criminals are invited to appeal, but the Justice Department doesn’t think it will do them much good.
“Because even if you get out of jail someday, you will never succeed in your criminal actions as long as Miles, aka ‘Batman,’ aka ‘Batkid’ is looking out for the citizens of Gotham,” the indictment reads.
JEFF CHIU/AP – After a job well done, Mayor Ed Lee (left) handed Batkid the keys to his city during a rally outside of City Hall.
Miles’ family followed him while he scrambled around town. Mom Natalie Scott said that the day was a dream come true for her, as well. It signaled the end of his treatment, of over three years of filling her son’s body with drugs. “He likes to be a superhero,” she told NBC. “He is one. He beat an awful disease.”
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE – The Gotham City Chronicle kept citizens informed about the adventures of Batkid.
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