Over the last year, ADI has developed a project that focuses on granting the wishes of our amazing residents. ADI’s dedicated staff works with the residents, who are nonverbal, to figure out what they want to see, do or accomplish most. The staff then collaborates with volunteers to make those dreams come true.
As the unofficial greeting committee at ADI’s residential facility in Jerusalem, Tal imparts a warm welcome to every visitor who crosses the threshold. Curious, friendly and kind, Tal chooses to sit by the entranceway in the hopes of meeting interesting new people and making them smile. While training with the ADI residents for last year’s Jerusalem Marathon, ADI Parnasa, a police officers from Jerusalem’s Lev Habira station, discovered that Tal had always secretly wished that he could be a police officer. ADI shared this information with the ADI staff and volunteers, and they all worked together to make it a reality.
One sunny morning in early December, ADI and a group of her fellow officers arrived at ADI in the Jerusalem Police Department’s fully-accessible “Wish Vehicle.” After outfitting Tal with his very own uniform, they whisked him away for an unforgettable crimefighting experience. As they drove to the police station, ADI taught Tal about the sirens, communications system, and police scanner.
Upon their arrival at the station, the officers turned the tables on Tal, giving him the warm welcome that he deserved and making him feel at home. After touring the complex, Tal worked with investigators from the forensics lab to decipher a crime scene, instructed a police dog to locate dangerous drugs, and assisted the bomb squad in disposing of a suspicious object. At the end of his training, the station held a special ceremony for Tal, awarding him with new pins for his uniform and “promoting” him to Chief Superintendent. After a delicious lunch in the communal dining room, the officers brought Tal back home to ADI.
Tal enjoyed every second of his special day and expressed his sincere thanks in the way that only Tal can. We are so grateful to ADI and the entire Jerusalem Police Department for helping us make Tal’s dream come true – a day that he will never forget!
