Teenager with viral American flag pickup drove to Oklahoma to fulfill cancer-stricken child’s wish

WEST HARRISON, Ind. (WXIX/Gray News) - An Indiana teen who went viral after he refused to take the American flag off his truck in his high school parking lot was asked by an Oklahoma family to help lay a 13-year-old who died after a battle with cancer to rest.

Cameron Blasek, 17, has since installed an American flag wrap on his Dodge Ram pickup. He recently made a 16-hour drive to Oklahoma to honor the family and the boy’s request.

“Something that you think is just so little can mean so much to somebody else,” Cameron said.

Cameron said he received a message from the family in Oklahoma.

“We have a little boy here in Hollis, Oklahoma, who is 13 years old and is battling cancer,” the message said. “He said his final wish was to be taken to his final resting place in the flag truck.”

Cameron said the family had seen the story about his pickup truck on social media.

“Honestly, the first thing that went through my mind was my youngest brother,” he said. “(He’s) 14 and not that far off in age. I heard that. It just kind of hit me and from there. I was just trying to help out as much as I could.”

With his dad as a traveling partner, Cameron drove the 16-hour trip. He said every mile and every minute was worth it.

“I never expected any of this from the beginning. All I wanted was to fly the flag on the back of my truck and I’m happy that’s what I got. But I’m also happy to help out other people. We ended up taking him from the high school and driving him around town one last time and then to his final resting place,” he said.

Cameron said he believes these are the kinds of moments that represent the American flag. He said this is why he said he stood up for his beliefs when he was initially asked by his high school to remove the flag from the truck.

“Like I said from day one, the flag is a symbol of unity,” he said. “It’s something that everybody can come together on, no matter who you are, what you look like or where you come from.”

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