Flag crew help boy celebrate 'best birthday ever'

Tricia Sloma, WNDU – South Bend, Ind. (WNDU) - A South Bend, Indiana boy with special needs recently received a very special birthday surprise. Nathan was born premature with a number of health problems.

Like a lot of kids with special needs, he has a unusual fixation. For Nathan it's an obsession with utility line locator flags.

"Nathan has been fixated on flags for probably two years," said his mother, Lisa. " And it was one of those fixations that just never went away."

One time he even took off looking for flags in the neighborhood.

"One day I ran away and I stole a whole bunch of these," admitted Nathan. "But the police said 'don't worry' and they never threw them away. I still have them."