Community organizes drive-by parade for 13-year-old Milwaukee teen fighting cancer

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- When people look back on the coronavirus pandemic years from now, they may remember it as a time of parades. 

Drive-by parades are the one safe way we can show our love and support.

The Milwaukee Fire Department organized a parade for 13-year-old Jayla Rodriguez. 

She's been battling cancer since she was five, and lately things haven't been going so well. 

Jayla's family reached out to the fire department, and even though they have more parade requests than they can handle, they couldn't turn this one down. 

"I could put together a whole bunch of words to make it sound really nice, but my heart can't put together words to say how thankful I am not only to you guys, but all of us being able to come together as a unit, especially at a time when it's just not my daughter going through something, but this whole world is," said Antonio Rodriguez, Jayla's father.

The fire department wasn't alone in the parade. The police department, sheriff's office, DPW, and even Bell Ambulance showed up to make a little noise and brighten Jayla's day.