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Gage Poole, his two parents, Gaston and Kieryanne Poole, and three siblings live in Nicholasville, Kentucky. For his 10th birthday celebration, his mother organized a birthday party for Gage at the Nicholasville Police Department (NPD), where he was sworn in as a police officer on Friday, March 28.

Gage has a rare genetic disease that affects 1/100,000 globally called Ataxia-Telangiectasia-like Disorder Type 2. It is a neurological degenerative disease. 

“About 2 years ago, [Gage] lost his motor function, his ability to speak, he had no peripheral vision, and we couldn’t figure out what was happening,” Kieryanne said. “We ended up going to Johns Hopkins chasing a diagnosis for about two years, and we finally found one. Not the one that we wanted. There’s no cure for [ATLD Type 2]; it’s just kind of [providing] comfort right now as far as that goes. But he’s thriving. He’s so resilient and strong, and we have no idea how he does it. I couldn’t imagine being faced with the path that he has gone through. He used to run and jump and do all the things, and now we spend more days in the wheelchair than we don’t. He’s got leg braces, and he can’t go to regular school,” she said. 

Gage was born at 27 weeks, and Kieryanne said he’s always known the hospital. “Gage has cerebral palsy, he has autism, eosinophilic esophagitis, episodic ataxia, ATLD type 2, abnormal gait, and eating difficulty.”

“It’s really shocking. We’ve asked him before if he remembers life before this, and he said that he doesn’t. It’s a blessing in that sense because he doesn’t miss what we think is a life he should have, but he thinks he has the best life he was given. As a parent, it’s hard because we see what he was. And he just knows who he is. Even as an adult, it’s hard to come to terms with that,” Kieryanne said.

Although the family lives in Nicholasville for now, they’ll be moving to St. Petersburg, Florida, at the end of May to receive healthcare from Johns Hopkins and start Gage’s bucket list. “Because it’s degenerative, there is a point in time where he’s not gonna be able to do even what he’s able to do today. We’re gonna try to tick off the bucket list and live life to the fullest. He wants to spend a week at Disney. So we’ve booked that, we put down the deposit, and we just try our best,” Kieryanne said.

Gage’s bucket list can be found on Kieryanne’s Facebook page and includes his upcoming week at Disney: a Disney Cruise, visiting the Kennedy Space Center and Lego Land, camping at national parks, a Lego shopping spree, writing a novel, going to the Grand Canyon, and meeting Mr. Beast, an American YouTuber. 

Despite the challenges that Gage faces with his family alongside him, Kieryanne said she is blessed to have support from the community. A large part of that support is his homeschooling co-op program through Radartz Academy with his teacher, Casondra Radford. “She’s just been such a blessing to him in making sure that he feels welcome and really just instilling beliefs that we have religiously and just creating a community for him to thrive in, and we can’t thank her enough for that. We absolutely love her.

Seven RadArtz students joined the birthday party. “Gage is really special to us,” she said. He joined in January when Radford opened up the school as a co-op for more students. Radford said the Poole family has become an extended family to her and her children, and Kieryanne agreed. 

Kieryanne said Gage had every birthday from one to seven years old at the police department in Gallatin, Tennessee. His actual birthday is in August, but he wasn’t doing well at the time, so his mother thought, before the family moves down to Florida, that she would reach out to the Nicholasville Police Department to see if they would celebrate his birthday with him. “They were more than willing to accommodate,” Kieryanne said. As she organized Gage’s big day at the NPD, Radford put together a Facebook event for his birthday, inviting community members. 

 

Sub-header: Gage’s birthday party

To start his birthday party, NPD Assistant Chief Major Matt Marshall introduced Gage to the room full of officers, community members, family, and friends and welcomed the Poole family. 

“We all are in the company of a young man with who we probably have more in common than he realizes. I can tell he’s a man of strength and character. Just in the few minutes I’ve gotten to meet him, it’s really our honor to celebrate him and show him the best time we can today,” Marshall said. “Gage, we’re gonna have Chief Fleming swear you in as a police officer. And don’t worry, you’re not gonna start looking like this.”

NPD Chief Michael Fleming read the Kentucky Judicial Oath of Justice to swear Gage Poole in as a police officer.

Gage raised his right hand, and Fleming started: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this Commonwealth and be faithful and true to the Commonwealth of Kentucky so long as I continue a citizen thereof, and that I will faithfully execute, to the best of my ability, the duty of the Nicholasville Police Department officer, according to section 228 of the constitution, and I do further solemnly swear (or affirm) that since the adoption of the present Constitution, I, being a citizen of this State, have not fought a duel with deadly weapons…” Fleming said, then confirmed with Gage that he hasn’t fought a duel. “…within this State nor out of it, nor have I sent or accepted a challenge to fight a duel with deadly weapons, nor have I acted as second in carrying a challenge, nor aided or assisted any person thus offending, so help me God.”

“I do,” Gage said. The room roared with applause. Fleming responded to Gage, “Now we’re gonna show you a very good time.”

After being sworn in, Marshall gave Gage a Nicholasville Police Department hat and sunglasses. He also gave Gage a challenge coin: “given to officers when they distinguish themselves with kindness, decency, and just courage. ” 

Fleming added that his door is always open as a Chief, including for Gage. 

The police department had prepared a room with decorated tables and a grill for hamburgers, with sides and cupcakes available to celebrate Gage. 

“Kindness goes a long way, and Nicholasville has really rallied around to create a village for Gage. I just can’t thank Nicholasville Police Department enough; they’re amazing,” Kieryanne said. 

If you’d like to donate to Gage and his family for his healthcare costs and bucket list, head to their GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-gage-fight-atld2-and-complete-his-bucket-list?utm_campaign=man_sharesheet_dash&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=qr_code&attribution_id=sl%3A8d070659-a84c-4aaf-8317-daf2d25ca021.