Wildwood tramcar's biggest fan had his dream come true with help from boardwalk legend Gigi
A Jersey Shore staple that has traveled the Wildwood boardwalk for decades continues to bring joy to visitors.
Six-year-old Oliver Carroll has a smile that can light up your summer. He's the Wildwood, New Jersey, tramcar's biggest fan.
Oliver's parents, April Miller and Anthony Carroll, said their son has autism and has been hooked on tramcars for years.
When they took him to the yard to see the trains up close, they ran into Gigi, a boardwalk legend who has been driving tramcars for decades.
"I let him come up in the cab with me, and the 'Watch the tram car' button is on the floor. He kept pressing it, and pressing it, and pressing it. It was no end," John Gigliotti, who's known as Gigi, said with a smile.
"He was so kind and so generous, and with so much bitterness in the world and so much going on, it does remind you that there are still really good people in the world," April Miller said.
Gigi said his job never gets old, and the best part is that he gets to meet people just like Oliver.
"He hugged me for a while ... I was so blessed to be able to do that," Gigi said.
The family said that while this may be a small gesture, it meant the world to them to see the happiness on their son's face.
"It was just a real dream come true moment for him, and of course, we are just an emotional wreck. We're just like, look at him! That's all he ever wanted," April Miller said. "When you have a child with special needs, it's always really, really special when you get to fulfill those things for them."
Oliver's parents said they are happy to see their son come out of his shell. Oliver wants to be like Gigi when he grows up.