Deputies, zombies surprise boy with terminal illness

NEW PORT RICHEY (FOX 13) - A group of Pasco County deputies went above and beyond the call of duty, battling zombies and giving a little boy with a terminal illness a day he'll never forget.

Spencer Holt, 7, has spent far too many days in hospital rooms, battling a form of Mitochondrial disease and seizures.

"There's no cure for it, no timeline for how long of what his future holds," his mother Cher said. "We just live day by day."

When Sheriff Chris Nocco invited him to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, complete with a motorcade, Spencer's family knew it would be a special day, but they had no idea what was in store.

Spencer loves law enforcement. He also loves zombies. Deputies found a way to combine the two.

"You like going after the bad guys?" Nocco asked Holt.

Nocco barely got a few words in when trouble struck.

"Zombies, they've overrun the jail, we can't hold them back!" yelled a SWAT member. "We need help!"

"How many are there?" Nocco asked.

"20, 30, 40," the SWAT member said.

Nocco motioned Holt over to the white board saying, "Let's draw up a plan."

This junior super hero was their only hope.

"We're overrun, buddy. We need your help. We need a team leader out there," Nocco said to Holt, pinning on his badge. "This is going to be an important day."

Armed with a foam dart gun, Holt showed no fear. After all, he's fought much worse than zombies.

Backed by SWAT members and a K-9, "Deputy" Holt cleared the jail of zombies, one by one. Once he got the situation under control, there was one more surprise.

Six deputies in uniform channeled their inner zombie, performing a near-flawless "Thriller" routine that would make Michael Jackson proud.

"It was a perfect day for this little boy and it really meant a lot to us," Nocco said. "A lot of us are going to take a lot more memories home and have a bigger smile because of little Spencer."

Beaming with happiness, Cher Holt said, "This is what I treasure, the good days. Make the most memories of every day because no one is promised tomorrow."

Though Spencer Holt didn't say a lot in front of the TV cameras, his huge smile and wide eyes said it all.

"Thank you," he whispered.

All of the zombies were actually played by local high school drama students.

On top of everything, Farrell Roofing donated a minivan to Spencer's family. Now, they can easily get wherever they need to go, whether that's doctor's appointments, school or even zombie hunts.