Whitaker Weinburger is just like all other kids his age. He loves toys, cars and the Transformers, particularly Bumblebee – the yellow Transformers character that transforms into a robot and a car.
“He’s funny. He’s charming. He’s got a great sense of humor,” Whitaker’s mother, Erin Weinburger, told “Good Morning America.”
But this little boy from Alexandria, Virginia, has seen more than his fair share of fighting. Whitaker has stage 4 cancer.
He’s battled neuroblastoma since being diagnosed at age one, and he’s never celebrated a birthday where he wasn’t sick.
“When we first saw the scan of his bones, it looked like he was covered (with cancer cells) skull to toe,” Erin said.
Whitaker turned four on Sept. 11. His parents planned a modest Bumblebee-themed gathering to make the day special for their son who’s endured chemotherapy, surgeries, radiation and more than 60 blood transfusions.
They never could have predicted the celebration of almost epic proportions that was to come.
“There was zero expectation for what beheld us yesterday in the morning. I did not imagine anything like that,” Erin said.
What started with a simple idea from Whitaker’s dad to ask a neighbor to park his yellow car in front of their house transformed into a social media explosion. Erin decided to expand the idea and took to Facebook to invite the community to help them surprise their son with yellow cars if anyone happened to have one.
People did, and they responded.
Dozens of yellow cars completely covered the family’s street as neighbors, friends and even strangers from out of state gathered outside their home to wish Whitaker a happy birthday.
“It was astounding how many people came,” Erin said.
A motorcade of “Bumblebees” comprised of yellow cars from taxis to Cadillacs, also escorted Whitaker and his family on his walk to school.
“It’s really heartwarming to hear why people came and what they did to come. It’s incredible that they did that for a little boy,” Erin said.
The preschooler has always loved the classic yellow Transformer.
“Every single yellow car is Bumblebee. Every car. It’s so hilarious,” Erin said laughing.
“It was so renewing. It’s really touching to see people come together in that way. It’s hard to explain. It’s hard to put it into words what that felt like,” Erin said.
After initial reports of the story went viral, even Bumblebee himself joined in to wish Whitaker a happy birthday.
Jeremy Levy, who voices the character in the TV series “Transformers: Cyberverse,” called Whitaker to chat yesterday. Erin added that Hasbro made Whitaker his own Bumblebee animation.
Erin said that the outpouring of emotion from their community has meant a lot to the family and especially to Whitaker, who she says is now doing well.
“It’s so powerful for everyone to see that kind of love,” Erin said.
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