MIAMI -- The Miami Police Department on Thursday offered an 11-year-old boy the opportunity of a lifetime -- the chance to become a police officer for a day.

Abraham Sibahi has wanted to become a police officer ever since kindergarten. But Sibahi is afflicted with a terminal disease called Ataxia Telangiectasis -- a rare, recessive genetic disorder that occurs in one out of 100,000 people worldwide.

The illness causes the immune system to breakdown, making the body susceptible to diseases. His 13-year-old sister, Mallack, has also been diagnosed with the disease, and his other sister, Zahara, died from it five years ago at age 12.

To honor Sibahi's wish, the police department dressed him in an official police uniform, complete with insignia and nametag, and took him on a tour of police headquarters. He was later expected to ride along with a police officer in a patrol car before being sworn-in during a ceremony conducted by Chief John Timoney.

"It means a lot to me, actually, and that will not be forgotten," Sibahi's father said.