Boy battling rare disease made sheriff for the day

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (WPVI) -- In Allentown, Pennsylvania, Sheriff Joe Hanna handed over his badge and his title last Friday to a very special little boy.

8-year-old Kaleb Holder loves people and the law. And even though he's living with a rare disease, he's also living the dream.

The police department says he was sworn in for the day because he touched their hearts. When they heard what he's up against, they got the uniform ready for him.

Kaleb's mother says he's expected to lose his ability to walk, talk, see and hear, and he's not expected to make it to his next birthday.

She says, "He can feel what it's like to be a police officer or a sheriff before he passes. It means a lot that he has the opportunity to have that experience."

And that experience included a ride in a police cruiser, he got to hit the gavel at court, and even gave the top judge in town a big old hug.

Mom says he always preferred real life heroes to superheroes. But the officers say the truth is - Kaleb is the real superhero.