Leukemia patient’s wish to become Batkid results in massive event

By Rohit Dilip

On Saturday, November 15^th, five-year-old Miles Scott went from leukemia patient to the superhero Batkid. As a leukemia patient, Miles was approached by the Make-A-Wish foundation, an organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses. Scott informed the foundation that his dream was to become Batman for one day. A request for volunteers via Twitter quickly resulted in San Francisco transforming into Gotham City. Miles began the day by receiving a plea from the mayor to help save the city. Dressed as Batkid, Miles fought crime throughout the day, catching criminals such as the Riddler and the Penguin and saving innocent civilians. The mayor, who thanked him for his services, eventually presented him with a key to the city.

On Saturday, December 7^th, Miles reprised his role as Batkid in a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish foundation. The event, known as “Brave the Bay,” included a 5K walk, team cable car pull, and the chief of police leaping into the bay.

The events garnered 12,000 volunteers and were highly publicized. President Obama sent Miles a video message in which he said “Way to go, Miles! Way to save Gotham!” This event marked the beginning of Miles’ remission from leukemia. He was diagnosed at 18 months and ended treatment in June. Miles’ father, Nick Scott, stated “This is closure for us. It has been a hard three years.”