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Garbage trucks lead birthday parade in Arizona to pick up spirits of boy with terminal Illness

PHOENIX — Garbage collectors in an Arizona city held a special parade Saturday to celebrate the third birthday of a boy fighting a terminal illness.

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Mateo Deinzer, of Phoenix, enjoys watching the workers pick up the trash outside his home every Tuesday.

“Every garbage morning he’s up in that window and he’s waiting for it, he loves it,” Kevin Deinzer, Mateo’s father, told KNXV. “He has been infatuated with garbage trucks forever."

On Saturday, a crew from Republic Services led a parade of garbage trucks and cars past Mateo’s house as the boy stood in his driveway, the television station reported.

“Our guys are essential and today, they felt a little bit like heroes getting to come out and help Mateo celebrate his birthday,” Javara Perrilliat, Southwest Area president for Republic Services, told KNXV.

Mateo got to sit in one of the trucks and honk the horn, the television station reported.

“That’s his big thing, he’s been talking about it all morning,” Kevin Deinzer told KNXV. “This is phenomenal. I never expected they (crew) would (come by), but the fact that they are is just beyond. ... I’m grateful.”