Onlookers would have thought Santa started his rounds early Monday afternoon when seven state police patrol cars and SUVs with emergency lights flashing and a siren blaring turned down Matteo Court in Hempfield and pulled into a driveway where 10-year-olds Payton and Riley Johnson and their brother, Ayden, 13, were watching.
The troopers surprised the children of Addison and Ryan Johnson with a visit about 1 p.m. The troopers presented them a few gifts that included official state trooper hats.
The children were surprised when they discovered the gift package included toy handcuffs.
For more than half an hour, the troopers let the children who share a rare genetic disease, ataxia-telangiectasia, or A-T, sit in the patrol cars and operate the sirens and lights. A-T causes progressive loss of muscle control, potential problems with the immune system and a high rate of cancer in children.
Payton and Ayden Johnson rely on motorized wheelchairs, while Riley is still able to stand and walk on her own.
“I can’t believe they’re doing this for us. It’s so kind and really made our day,” said Addison Johnson shortly after wiping tears of joy from her cheeks.
Ryan Johnson said the entire family enjoyed the visit.
A fourth Johnson sibling, Alivia, died of complications of A-T in August 2018 at age 8.
The community service visit was a hit with the troopers, said Trooper Aaron J. Allen, who works out of Troop A in Greensburg and Troop B in Belle Vernon and assisted in the coordination.
“When I heard about this, it was really a no-brainer. It was a lot of fun, too,” Allen said.
“The look on the children’s faces said it all.”
Addison Johnson said the plans for Monday started Dec. 4, when Payton and Riley celebrated their 10th birthdays. Family friend Carrie Ligus overheard the birthday celebrants dream of becoming police officers when they grow up.
Ligus, who works at Hempfield District Judge Mark Mansour’s office, works with police officers almost every day and went to school with Allen.
A call was made, Addison Johnson said.
Allen admitted that the other troopers who took part in the visit, Troopers Steven Dubich, Casey Frank, Dan Grabowski, Robert Martin and Nicholas Moore, were especially eager to participate after learning two of those feted hope to become police officers.
While Ayden indicated he has no aspirations in a law enforcement career, he does hope to design cars one day.
