Boy's family told he wouldn't live past 2nd birthday, then they held a parade for his 3rd
A little boy living with a rare neuromuscular disease just received a parade in honor of his third birthday.
Over 100 trucks, buses, cars and first responder vehicles came to the event held on Nov. 17 in Lincolnshire, Illinois, in celebration of Nash Stineman.
"Nash is the most inspirational human being and the strongest person I know," mom Brittany Stineman told "Good Morning America."
"It was legitimately the most special day in our lives ... and amazing because of all the people that never met him, but stand so strong behind him," she said.
At 11 months old, Nash was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress (SMARD), which causes muscle weakness and difficulty breathing. The condition is the result of an inherited gene mutation, according to the the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center.
Nash is the only person in Illinois who's ever been diagnosed with SMARD, Stineman said.
"We were told he wasn't going to live past two years old," Stineman added.
Through their nonprofit Smash SMARD, Stineman and her husband Bobby have been working with researchers to find treatment options. So far, they've raised $2 million in hopes of getting their son and other kids like him gene replacement therapy.
"His life will end if he does not get this treatment," Brittany said. "The plan is the [gene therapy] trial should start by the end of next year."
Because Nash's immune system is compromised, he cannot have a typical birthday party and be surrounded by too many people.
To help mark their fundraising milestone and Nash reaching age 3, neighborhood friend Mindy Abern helped launch the birthday parade.
"Nash loves taking walks outside in our town -- he likes watching the cars and trucks drive by," Abern told "GMA." "My idea was that they could drive by and give three beeps for his birthday."
"Local police, firefighters, everyone came out," she added. "It ended up being way larger than I thought."
Vehicles lined the street as Nash's 5-year-old brother Blake served as parade marshal. Every bus driver from the school district drove through the block and in lieu of candy, friends gifted Nash with banana pudding since he gets intravenous nutrition.
"He was extremely happy," Stineman said. "Our community has been so amazing to our family on so many levels."
The Stinemans are asking for donations to their organization, smashsmard.org, to help fund the treatment he needs.
