3-year-old Kootenai County boy who’s fighting cancer made an honorary sheriff’s deputy

At the young age of 3, Landon Hill accomplished what most could only dream of: He became an honorary sheriff’s deputy, badge and all.

Surrounded by Kootenai County Sheriff’s deputies, members of the media and his family, Landon on Wednesday clung to his father’s shoulder as they stood inside the sheriff’s office in Coeur d’Alene. His red shoes were bobbling to the sides, as Sheriff Ben Wolfinger had him repeat the oath.

“I promise to obey my family, follow the rules and wear my seat belt,” Wolfinger said to Landon. In response, the shy child’s mouth turned up before burying his bald head in his father’s chest.

“That’s good enough,” Wolfinger conceded.

Landon not only became a deputy, he also received an official sheriff’s hat, a certificate of recognition, an identification card with his own photo and a stuffed animal covered in green Christmas attire – his favorite color.

“Ooooh,” he said as he was shown his new gifts. “Thanks momma.”

His family also received a $1,500 donation from the sheriff’s department to help pay for his cancer treatment.

“When he was first diagnosed, we kind of came up with, I don’t want to say a bucket list, but Landon’s to-do list,” his mother Madison Hill said. “Getting to see the happy side of all this stuff.”

At age 2, Landon was diagnosed with metastatic neuroblastoma in his bones. For the last year and a half, the family has spent large chunks of time at Seattle Children’s Hospital for the boy’s treatment.

Landon was there for three months before coming home to Coeur d’Alene for the holidays. His parents stayed where they could, at an Airbnb or at the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Word of the boy’s heart-wrenching story eventually spread to Wolfinger and the department. Seeing a family in need, the men in the office got busy – growing facial hair.

For the past three years, male sheriff’s deputies have taken part in a No Shave November fundraiser. For every day they don’t shave, they put $10 into a pool to be donated to a worthy cause. This year, the cause was Hill.

“Last year I did the full beard,” Wolfinger said. “I looked like Papa Smurf.”

“The beards got pretty woolly,” Undersheriff Dan Mattos said. “They started looking like cave men. Not that they acted like them.”

While Landon was bashful being in front of a room full of people and cameras watching his every move, Madison Hill said he’s usually the complete opposite. His doctors were surprised to see how spunky he has been after multiple rounds of chemotherapy, she said.

“He always seems to do a little better than what the doctors think he’s gonna do,” she said. “If he wasn’t bald and you didn’t know what’s going on, you wouldn’t know anything was wrong with him.”

When asked by a member of the media if she expected her son to one day become a sheriff’s deputy, she said, “A deputy or the boss of the world. One of the two.”

“Short, bald guys can be sheriffs here,” Wolfinger retorted.

To cap off the visit, Landon was led around to the deputies’ cruisers and even the BearCat SWAT vehicle to gander at the instruments. Then it was off to spend some much needed rest and relaxation at home.

In about two weeks, the boy will head back to Seattle to undergo 12 sessions of proton radiation. After that, it’s antibody therapy.

The donated money will help pay for these treatments, as well as lodging and travel costs. The family also has raised about $30,000 through a GoFundMe campaign.

Landon’s parents say the whole experience has been life-altering. They haven’t given up hope, and neither has their son.

“It’s not giving up your life, it’s changing your life,” Madison Hill said. “He’s a fighter and he always ends everything with a smile.”