MIAMI (WSVN) - A brave 6-year-old boy named Dale Zimmerman, who has been battling cancer, became a zoo keeper for a day at Zoo Miami Monday morning.
Dale had his wish granted to become the “King of the Jungle,” thanks in part to Make-A-Wish Foundation Southern Florida. The Zimmerman family was invited to come from Greenville, South Carolina to Zoo Miami, just before Dale was scheduled to start a new round of chemotherapy.
Dale has been battling NF1 since he was 16-months-old, which causes tumors to grow along your nerves. Due to the disease, one of his legs was amputated and he wears a prosthetic leg.
His mother, Heidi Zimmerman, shared her son’s deep love for animals.
“He loves all sorts of animals, he wants to have every single animal in our house…he wants lions and tigers,” said Heidi.
Dale’s partner for the day was the zoo’s Good Will Ambassador, Ron Magil, who even let Dale get up close and personal with a rhino.
“You know when you see a smile on a kid like this, it makes everything worth it,” said Magil. “You can’t put a price tag on something like that.”
Both Magil and Dale created a bond over their love for animals. Magil knows the value of this tour for kids like Dale.
“And you know, these kids have gone through a lot of challenges, gone through many things that many of us can’t even dream of going through and yet you see them come out there, and man you saw him laugh and feed that giraffe and smile…a little anxiousness too but totally understandable,” said Magil. “I was real proud of him, for us…the zoo is a privilege to be able to provide this for these kids.”
Despite the challenges, Dale’s mom knows just how strong he is.
“He’s had lots of downs but he is an amazing child and he doesn’t let it keep him down. He always gets up and keeps on going,” said Heidi.
Dale’s trip to the zoo comes at a critical point.
He got to enjoy his day just before starting a new round of chemotherapy.
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