10-year-old boy living with rare condition uses Make-A-Wish to help community who helped him

BORDENTOWN, NJ - A South Jersey child is taking his Make-A-Wish and giving back to the community that has helped take care of him. 

With a standing ovation, Ayden welcomed his tenth birthday alongside his mother, twin sister and many within his hometown of Bordentown, a city he now holds the keys to. 

"You are truly an outstanding individual to get this and I hope you hang it onto your bedroom wall," said Bordentown Mayor Eugene Fuzy. 

As a birthday cake was brought out and many began singing happy birthday to Ayden, people started shouting for him to make a wish after blowing out his candles. 

Let’s just say his "Make a Wish" is coming true in the blink of an eye. 

Right outside the Bordentown Elks Lodge #2085, a huge party happened for Ayden, with friends, family, and even some strangers. 

"Having community support it makes a whole lot of a difference. I honestly believe this is putting more life, life span for him," said Ayden’s mother, Shawntell Manning. 

Last year, Ayden was diagnosed with Cerebral Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) a rare non-curable genetic brain disease, that doctors say will quickly take his vision, hearing, mobility, and ultimately his life. 

"Meeting with the different transfer teams that were giving us that three-year time window of his life span, that was the most devastating thing in my life," said Manning.

What’s holding her together is Ayden and his spirit, which allows him to smile and hug everyone he encounters, and to take his special wish, his Make-A-Wish, and be different. 

"We have a very unique gift, we have a wish to give, which we don’t get many of these," said Nicole Rivera, the Vice President of Mission Delivery for Make-A-Wish New Jersey. 

A chance for Ayden to say thank you to everyone who has been and continues to battle with him along this tough journey. 

"Some of the people here they never met him before, but they know his story, they know the cause, it brings everyone together and makes the community come closer together," says Adam Edwards, an officer with the Bordentown Township Police Department. 

Something, whether Ayden knows it or not, he’s doing, one wish and one hug at a time.