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Meet Wyatt Houppert , Suffolk County’s youngest honorary sheriff and a true fighter. Twelve-year-old Wyatt Houppert had a pretty unforgettable week. While most kids his age are thinking about video games or summer break, Wyatt was busy being sworn in as an honorary sheriff in New York’s Suffolk County.

The special moment happened on Tuesday, with Sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. leading the ceremony. Toulon called the event a “meaningful moment” not just for Wyatt, but for the entire sheriff’s office.

And it’s easy to see why.

Wyatt is facing something no kid should have to deal with: kidney failure. His mom, Devan Houppert, told Good Morning America that they first learned something was off in 2021. Wyatt was born with one healthy kidney and another that, as Devan put it, was “the size of a walnut.” Basically, it had never developed.

For a while, his one working kidney kept up. But over time, things got worse. By February 2025, doctors delivered the tough news: both of Wyatt’s kidneys had failed. He now needs hemodialysis to stay stable and is waiting on a kidney transplant to give him a better shot at a healthy future.

What is hemodialysis?
Your kidneys are filtering the bad stuff out of your blood and keeping your body balanced. But sometimes, when your kidneys get seriously damaged, they can’t do their job anymore. That’s where hemodialysis swoops in to save the day. So, what exactly is hemodialysis? When your natural filters give up, hemodialysis steps in as an artificial kidney. It’s a process that takes your blood out of your body, cleans it, and then returns it fresh and purified.

There is a dialysis machine through a special access point—usually a fistula (that’s a tiny connection made by your doctor between an artery and a vein). Blood flows out through tubes into the machine, which filters out waste products, extra salt, and fluids. Then, like a blood delivery service, the cleaned blood gets sent back into your body.

Hemodialysis usually happens about three times a week, and each session can take anywhere from 3 to 5 hours.

Despite all of that, Wyatt is showing up strong. His honorary sheriff moment wasn’t just a nice gesture—it was a huge boost of encouragement for a kid who’s been through more than most adults.

Wyatt’s story is a reminder of what real bravery looks like. And Suffolk County was proud to pin a badge on him—not just for a day, but in spirit, forever.