WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Cali Franklin, who celebrated her sixth birthday in January in a community celebration and earlier was an honorary deputy with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, has died from an aggressive form of brain cancer.
On Sunday, the agency posted on Facebook a message and a video tribute: "We're deeply saddened by the loss of our little angel, Deputy Sheriff Cali Franklin. Meeting this beautiful little angel and being there throughout her journey has been a profound privilege. Our deepest condolences go out to the family on behalf of the entire agency. May she finally rest in peace."
On Dec. 23, Cali's dream to become a PBSO deputy came true. She told that dream to Deputy Ken Torrance when she first met him, long before the diagnosis of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a rare form of cancer on the brain stem. Torrance out interacting with Cali's community of Dyson Circle in West Palm Beach.
“Cali’s like a daughter of mine," Torrance said. "It was just as devastating as if I were to hear that about my own child.”
The two became instantly bonded, and continued their friendship over the weeks and months that passed.
"When she told me that, I knew that, this was my girl," Torrance said, "and I wanted to see it through to her being a police officer.”
Torrance met Sydney Vallon, the owner of Palm Beach Classics, a car dealership in Palm Beach County that specializes in the sales and authentic restoration of classic automobiles. Vallon mentioned to Torrance that he recently started up his own 501 C3 nonprofit, called Mini Me. It provides support, including food, clothing and toys for children battling cancer.
Vallon built Cali a miniature remote-controlled PBSO patrol car, which they surprised her with, as Cali wore her own sheriff's uniform. Torrance even gave Cali her own badge, making her deputization official.
Cali's mom, Kierra Hollis, said seeing her daughter's dream come true on a Christmas that could be her last meant the world.
“When you hear a boatload of doctors and nurses tell you there’s nothing else that they can do, to make memories is really important, to see her smile ... we’ve always made memories but this time, it's so precious," said Hollis, through tears.
On Jan. 28, balloons, streamers, glitter and other decorations filled the Greenacres Community Center as her friends, family and many others sang "Happy Birthday" to little Cali.
Her party, which ran from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., featured a DJ, cake and other treats, face painting, dancing and her favorite toy, LOL dolls. Disney princesses Elsa and Anna even paid the 6-year-old a visit to sing songs, read her a story and present her with a crown of her own.
Torrance and Vallon once again made her dream come true by organizing and funding the party, with the help of Michele Thompson, director of the Greenacres Community Recreation Center.
"It was really nice," Hollis said. "A lot of people came out to support us. It was really nice to see Cali smile."
Cali also got to sign her name on a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office pink patrol car, which goes to events in honor of those both fighting cancer and those who've lost the fight to cancer.
To learn more about Mini Me Foundation, click here.
Hollis had a GoFundMe account set up to help pay for her daughter;s treatment and the mother's living expenses because she was unable to work, including traveling to Miami for radiation therapy.