8-year-old boy with toy backhoe tries the real deal
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IDAHO FALLS — Creed Martin wants to be a construction worker and a superhero when he grows up. Last Friday, March 14, he had the opportunity to do both.
“I got to drive the digger!” Creed told EastIdahoNews.com.
After the water line to his house broke on Thursday, March 13, a crew from the Idaho Falls Water Department showed up the next morning to fix the pipe and the water shut-off valve, which was leaking water everywhere.
“My eight-year-old son Creed is fascinated with all big construction vehicles, especially ‘diggers’ (backhoes) and dump trucks,” his mom Shauna Martin wrote to EastIdahoNews.com.
Idaho Falls Water Superintendent David Richards said crews showed up and quickly took note they had a young fan.
“Normally, in a situation like this, we try and discourage small children from getting into a construction zone,” Richards said. “But the crew … noticed that there’s this little boy. He’d been sitting on his steps for a long time watching them.”
Creed’s parents were both near him, as his father had taken the day off of work to address the water break.
After a while, Cameron Davis, the excavator operating the backhoe, finished filling a dump truck. A lull ensued while the crew waited for the truck to empty its load.
“The little boy’s just been sitting there patiently on the steps with his own little toy dump truck, playing this whole time and monitoring construction events,” Richards said. “So based on, I guess, the boy’s demeanor and the fact that they could tell that he was so interested in construction, they invited him to come on over – obviously with his parents’ permission.”
Creed set down his little dump truck named “Julius” and hopped aboard the real front backhoe.
“The guy got him up there in the seat with him and showed him how the controls worked a little bit. … They filled up his (toy) truck,” Shauna said. “Then he let (Creed) fill up a couple more buckets and just dump them out right there on the road.”
The crew had no idea that they were helping Creed live out his dream.
A hero faraway
Creed’s uncle, Kevin Hathaway, is a local general contractor who’s been away for a couple years while serving as a mission president in Bentonville, Arkansas, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
After accepting the call to lead a mission, Hathaway sold his major construction equipment including the original Julius dump truck (the namesake for Creed’s toy), Lenny the Lift and Billy the Bobcat.
“My brother and Creed have this really tight relationship,” Shauna said. “… Anytime Kevin was in a piece of equipment and near our house, he would come and get Creed, and Creed would go with him.”
They would dig dirt together in Hathaway’s backyard.
Julius the dump truck, Lenny the Lift and Billy the Bobcat even showed up to his birthday parties. When Creed turned six, his Uncle Kevin brought all three with a giant, neon orange spray-painted sign that said, “Happy Birthday Creed!”
Creed says he’s Spiderman, and Kevin is Iron Man.
“So since Kevin has left, Creed has missed him really bad,” Shauna said. “Like any time we see a digger, any time we see a dump truck, pretty much any kind of big equipment, he’s like, ‘I miss Uncle Kevin.’ And then it’s like an all day thing.’”
“You’re making me cry,” Creed said, interrupting the interview with his mom.
But the water crew helped to start to fill the hole in his heart.
“Friday was not a good day, weather wise. It was rainy and windy. It was pretty chilly outside, but any time anybody was outside, Creed was right there following them, wanting to check out what they were doing,” Shauna said.
In the weeks to come, the Martins will be able to watch as crews complete the project.
“They’re putting in new grass and new sidewalk,” Creed said.
For now, Richards said they’re on the lookout for solid workers.
“We’re always looking for good operators, and you know, maybe in 15 to 20 years or something, we’ll have a spot for Creed,” Richards said. “We’ll keep the seat warm for him.”
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