Michigan 4-year-old becomes honorary police officer

Covert Township, Mich. (WOOD/CNN) — It’s about a little girl, the obstacles she’s overcome, and her love for law enforcement. And it’s all led up to this day as she prepares to receive a big honor.

It’s just hours before 4-year-old Skylar’s big moment, and if the smile hasn’t sold you — she is excited. “I just Wanna be a police officer,” she said.

But before we get to that — how we got here.

Brandi Sturdevant,, Skylar’s mom, said, “We were at a gas station getting gas, and a police officer pulled up next to us.”

That was about a year and a half ago. Skylar was scared at first, until she got to meet the officer.

Skylar’s mom said, “He explained to her, ‘listen we’re not the bad guys — we’re here to help you.’ and ever since then — Skylar has just been head over heels.”

It’s almost all she talks about, she wants to be an officer when she’s small, then a firefighter when’s she tall.

Last Halloween, it was protect and serve.

And then, just last week, a chance encounter with three of her heroes at a south haven restaurant.

Skylar’s mom said, “When we got up to get our food she saw them — she’s waving to ‘em and she’s just cheesing so big and she’s so happy and she’s like, ‘I wanna talk to ’em.’”

She eventually did. And the Covert Township cops made her day, paid for her meal, even gave her a stuffed animal.

Pictured beside her, her favorite one — the department’s chief.

Chief Jay Allen said, “We saw that she just kept staring at us — so after mom approached us we’re like well let’s do something nice for her.”

It was a chance meeting that spread fast on Facebook — nearly 150 shares — a bright day for a little girl who’s had too many dark ones in her short life.

“At that moment –I knew there was something wrong with Skylar,” her mom said.

That was two years ago, when Skylar started suffering from frequent episodes of high fever, vomiting and body pain.

Just this year, doctors diagnosed her with periodic fever syndrome, or P-FAPA.

It’s not life threatening if treated properly and could improve, but it’s something she will have to live with forever.

Somehow, through it all, she’s kept on smiling. “My daughter is gonna to face things in life and she’s gonna get through everything because she is so strong,” her mother said.

And now, the reason for all this pampering, her biggest moment yet.

Tonight, the Covert Township Police Department will name her an honorary police officer — badge and all.

Skylar’s mom said, “It makes me feel so humbled and feel like people are selfless they’re amazing people.”

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