A Bridgeport boy's love for first responders is reaching across the globe.
Like most 11-year-olds Brandon Winans loves collecting toys, but it's his latest collection that's brought him the most joy.
Brandon collects police and firefighter patches. So far, he's collected 457 from places all over the world. The patches line his living room wall and fill two large binders.
His mother, Misty, didn't intend for the patches to take over her living room, but seeing each new patch brought Brandon so much joy. Brandon is autistic and loves when they pass police officers and firetrucks on the street.
"He just loves them. I don't know what it is," said Misty Winans.
It all started when Brandon met a Bridgeport police officer and received his very first patch.
"We all get into this line of work hoping to help one person and Brandon seems to be our one person," said Lt. Gerald Upton with Bridgeport Police. "We've kind of adopted him into the police department."
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Lt. Upton and others within the department reached out to their first responder friends to help Brandon grow his collection. One-by-one all across Texas and even as far as New Zealand, departments responded.
"It makes us feel good to help him out and make him feel good," said Lt. Upton.
More badges are arriving every day after Brandon's mother created a Facebook page about Brandon's love for police officers.
