ORLANDO, Fla. – A student with special needs, and a passion for law enforcement and aviation, received a special gift Thursday from the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Guardians for 20-year-old Skyler Albo told him he was going to the eye doctor, but instead, they brought him to Orlando Executive Airport.
Inside the OCSO hangar, Albo got to see the Sheriff's Office helicopters, and he also received a hands-on lesson in how they fly.
When Sheriff Jerry Demings and Judge Patricia Stowbridge walked in, Albo's surprise really took flight.
"He had gone on a ride-along with the Orange County sheriff's deputies, and Sheriff Demings had given him an aviation flight suit," Stowbridge said. "It was one of his most prized possessions."
"Someone took the flight suit from him, along with some other personal items of his, and they set it on fire," Demings said. "They destroyed it."
Added Stowbridge, "He was very distraught about it. He felt that he had lost something very special to him."
Stowbridge said she called Demings, and on Thursday, they presented him with a new flight suit.
"I think he's probably going to try to wear it to school tomorrow," said Kellie Gaspa, Albo's guardian ad litem. "They have uniforms, and I think we're gonna have to tell him no. But I think that's exactly what he would do if he could."
Along with his new flight suit, Demings also presented Albo with a special pin, recognizing him as a special deputy.
"The opportunity to just bring some joy into your life is the best part of this job," Stowbridge said.