STRATFORD -- Six-year-old William Beyer has been fighting a rare heart defect his entire life.
The first grader from Collegeville, Pennsylvania, received a heart transplant at just 10-months-old and has been in and out of the hospital ever since.
When his family got in touch with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, William put them to work.
His dream? To fly in a helicopter and see where aircrafts are made.
William's wish recently came true.
Make-A-Wish Connecticut arranged for William and his family to take a private flight courtesy of Sikorsky -- where helicopter aviation was born.
"It's an amazing day here today," said Kim Smith, the director of corporate and community giving at Make-A-Wish Connecticut.
Dan Schultz, Sikorsky's president, who outfitted William with a flight suit and aviator glasses, added "This is the birthplace of helicopter aviation and this is part of being a good neighbor."
After flying high above the state and riding shotgun in the cockpit of an S-76 helicopter, William was greeted on the ground by a crew from Sikorsky and said, "That was good -- and awesome!"
Michelle Beyer, William's mother added, "He'll remember this and always talk about it."
At day's end, Sikorsky pilots proclaimed that they were making William and honorary test pilot.