Trash Collector Forms Friendship with Sparks Boy

Day after day since 1997, Efrain Dela Rosa has been working with trash. 

"19 years," he proudly said. 

During that time he's established a fan base with the neighborhood kids. "I know they're there," said Efrain. "They're at the windows because I know they're there."

In August, one of Efrain's regulars was not there. It was a six-year-old boy named Jakob Relaford. 

"I used to see him every Friday," said Efrain. "He was always out here. Then I stopped seeing him."

Jakob wasn't in the window because he was at Renown's Children Hospital. Jakob was perfectly healthy. Then in August, his mom thought he had a cold. 

"About four days later we woke up in the morning with slurred speech," said Anica Relaford, Jakob's mom. 

They took him to the E.R. Doctors who would spend months trying to get the right diagnosis. 

"We had numerous doctors and neurologist across the country working on his case and they finally decided that it was Bickerstaff Encephalitis," she said. 

The condition attacks the nervous system among other issues. Jakob spent several weeks inside hospitals in Reno and California.

"Has it been a hard couple of months?" I asked Jakob.  

'Yeah," he told me.  

"What made it so hard for you?" 

"Being in the hospital for so long," Jakob answered. 

Gone from his grandma's window, but certainly not forgotten. Efrain, so concerned for Jakob's health sent a care package to him including a toy trash collecting truck, a shirt, and a get well card. 

"I did some writing," said Efrain. "Well actually I asked my wife to do it because my handwriting is bad."

"It really touched him," said Anica. 

We were there when Jakob and Efrain reunited last week. They embraced each other, and Jakob got a tour of the truck. Last weekend, Efrain and Waste Management even organized a fundraiser for the family. 

"We are thankful for every thing, every prayer, every love," said Anica. "It's meant the world to us."

"Thank you," said Jakob. 

It's gotta make you think. If a man in a garbage truck was able to show so much kindness to a waving kid in a window, then what's our excuse?     

Here's a link if you'd like to help the family out with medical costs.