Make-A-Wish dream comes true for critically ill child when he rides a DC Metrobus with his family

WASHINGTON - A young boy with a serious illness saw his Make-A-Wish dream come true after he rode a private Metrobus around the nation’s capital to celebrate his birthday.

Jacob Crandall, who turned 10 years old on Wednesday, kept his request simple: To celebrate his special day onboard one of the transit system’s buses with his family.

"Jacob's wish was really simple. He wanted to ride a Metro bus, sit next to the driver, and have his name on the description on the front of the bus. And WMATA is making it happen for him," said Lesli Creedon, Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic CEO.

"It’s just humbling," said Leroy Jones, Senior Vice President of Bus Operations at Metro, adding that this is the first Make-A-Wish request he’s experienced in his almost 25 years with the transit system. Jones said Jacob and his family will have his own motorcade and will ride down Wisconsin Avenue, through Georgetown, and circle back to Metro’s Western Bus Garage. He and his crew decorated the bus and even got Jacob a special bus-shaped cake. "Hopefully we make this a special day for him," Jones said.