LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — An 11-year-old boy received quite the birthday surprise this week after his dad thought of a way to celebrate, despite being unable to host a party due to the spread of coronavirus.
Before Hashim Salih celebrated his big day, his father Mohanad reached out to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office to ask for a favor.
"We promised him from the very beginning that this was going to be a very epic birthday," Mohanad said. "We were thinking during this pandemic, 'What should we do?' We love (the sheriff's office). They show a lot of respect to the community.”
What followed was a special moment that Hashim told WUSA9 he would never forget.
On Thursday, around a dozen Loudoun County Sheriff's Office cars led a parade down the family's street.
With sirens blaring and the line of cruisers going right past his house, Hashim said the surprise lived up to the "epic" promise from his dad.
"I saw blue lights off a reflection of a window and I thought, 'Is there a party van or something?'" he said. "My friend said, 'I think you’re under arrest.'”
Hashim said at least one officer sang "Happy Birthday" to him as well, capping off the memorable experience.
"This is one of the best ones. Epic," he said. "Having this big parade was life-changing.”
For Mohanad, seeing his son's reaction to the moment brought a much-needed smile during a time bringing plenty of stress for many people.
"It’s going to be in his memory for a long time," the father said. "It’s a really nice community here. You feel like we’re all in this together as one family.”