It’s never easy to hear that your child might not live past a certain age. In fact, it’s the hardest thing in the world to hear those words. However, hearing the words and having them actually happen are two entirely different things—especially when it comes to one Illinois family.

Little Nash spent almost his entire first year as a normal, healthy little infant. However, when he was 11 months old, he was diagnosed with a rare disease called spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress (SMARD), which is a result of an inherited gene mutation. The main symptoms of the condition include muscle weakness and trouble breathing. “We were told he wasn’t going to live past two years old,” his mother, Brittany Stineman, said.

Can you imagine hearing something like that right before your baby turns one? Stineman said the news was a shot to the heart.

However, the news wasn’t true. Nash did in fact live past his second birthday. And when he made it to three, his entire town decided to celebrate him in the best way possible. One of the family’s neighborhood friends, Mindy Abern, helped coordinate a birthday parade for him.

“Nash loves taking walks outside in our town — he likes watching the cars and trucks drive by,” Abern said.” “My idea was that they could drive by and give three beeps for his birthday.”

It turned out to be an even bigger event than she could have imagined. “Local police, firefighters, everyone came out,” she said. “It ended up being way larger than I thought.”

Not only that, but every single bus driver in the school district participated. They drove through their block, with Nash’s 5-year-old brother helping guide everyone, and dishing out banana pudding (instead of candy, since Nash has to receive intravenous nutrition for his condition).

Nash, of course, had the absolute best time. “He was extremely happy,” Stineman said. “Our community has been so amazing to our family on so many levels.”

“Nash is the most inspirational human being and the strongest person I know,” she added. If you’d like to help Nash get the treatment he needs, you can donate to the Stinemans’ organization, smashsmard.org.

You can hear more about the parade and see footage in the video below.

Have you ever heard of SMARD before, or know anyone who has it? How sweet was it for this neighborhood to throw Nash a birthday parade?