Terminally ill 6-year-old made honorary police officer

Choctaw Police Corporal Sonny Nohmer, left, and State Trooper Barnes, right, help 6-year-old Wesley Rouse try out an Oklahoma Highway Patrol motorcycle. (Photo by Ryan Horton)

Wesley Rouse is like most 6-year-old boys.
He loves motorized vehicles, superheroes, firemen and police.
However, something that makes Wesley different is his ongoing battle with cancer following a terminal stage four diagnosis in 2015.
Two years ago, the Rouse family’s world changed when Wesley’s abdomen started swelling.
“We went on a trip, and when we got home, Wes’ stomach had grown huge and we ended up taking him to the ER right away,” said mother Alecia Rouse.
The rural McLoud family of four was directed to the Jimmy Everest Center for Cancer, and a scan revealed a Wilms’ tumor.
“It’s the worst thing you ever want to hear,” Alecia said.
While a Wilms’ tumor is the most common cancer of the kidneys in children, Wesley’s had already advanced to stage four.
“Stage four means it was widespread, so he had a tumor on his kidney. It had spread to the lymph nodes as well as his lungs and his liver,” said Dr. Kacie Sims, a pediatric oncologist.
Due to the advanced stage of the cancer, Wesley had to undergo months of extra chemotherapy, radiation and a second line of medications to tackle remaining cancer spots in his lungs after the football-sized tumor and his let kidney were removed.
Wesley’s fight continues with chemotherapy treatment, but his diagnosis is terminal.

Honorary police officer Wesley Rouse shows he has what it takes to help out all first responders with some help from the Choctaw Fire Department. (Photo by Ryan Horton)

Wesley’s Big Day
Local first responders united Wednesday, Aug. 16 in Choctaw Creek Park to honor the brave youngster with a day of fun.
Wesley was made an honorary Choctaw Police Officer, and had the opportunity explore a wide variety of law enforcement and fire fighting vehicles and equipment.

Wesley checks out an Oklahoma County SWAT tactical vehicle. (Photo by Ryan Horton)

Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office, Midwest City Police, and Harrah Police joined the Choctaw Police and Fire Departments to make sure the day was memorable for the boy who has hopes to become a police officer himself.
“His mom brought him up here, but he had no idea why,” said Choctaw Police Corporal Sonny Nohmer, who organized the surprise.
“I met Wesley at Calico Joes one day when I went over there to eat. He saw my uniform and was real excited, and just started to talking to me. I noticed he was sick when I first met him, because he had his little ball cap on and no hair,” said Nohmer. “We just wanted to br

Choctaw Police Chief Dan Wiedemann makes Wesley Rouse an official honorary police officer. (Photo by Ryan Horton)

ighten up his day, because he has stage four terminal cancer. We wanted to make it a big day that he really enjoys, where he gets to become something that he wants to do, and that’s a police officer. So we outfitted him with a little uniform, and Chief Wiedemann presented him with an official certificate making him an honorary Choctaw officer.”
Wesley was a student at Kickapoo head start, and has a 3-year-old sister named Penelope and a 4-month-old brother named Damien.
Chick-fil-A, in Midwest City, provided 25 boxed lunches for the event that brought dozens of first responders to Choctaw Creek Park, and Choctaw’s Walmart Supercenter allowed Wesley to take a $200 shopping spree following his fun in the park.
“Wesley has always wanted to be a police officer so the Choctaw Police threw together this big day where he got to be a policeman himself,” said Alecia. “He’s always wanted to be a cop so this is really exciting for him.”