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In Phoenix, AZ. a 26-year-old mother stared down at her son who was dying of
terminal leukemia. Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a
strong feeling of determination. Like any parent she wanted her son to grow up
and fulfill all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible. The leukemia would
see to that. But she still wanted her son's dreams to come true.
She took her son's hand and asked, "Billy, did you ever think about what
you wanted to be once you grew up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do
with your life?"
"Mommy, I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up."
Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come
true."
Later that day she went to her local fire department in Phoenix, Arizona, where
she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Phoenix. She explained her son's
final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her six-year-old son a ride
around the block on a fire engine.
Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have your
son ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an honorary fireman
for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on
all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll
get a real fire uniform for him, with a real fire hat-not a toy one-with the
emblem of the Phoenix Fire Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear and
rubber boots. They' re all manufactured right here in Phoenix, so we can get
them fast."
Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy, dressed him in his fire uniform
and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck.
Billy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire
station. He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and
Billy got to go out on all three calls. He rode in the different fire engines,
the paramedic's van, and even the fire chief's car. He was also vid eotaped for
the local news program.
Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished
upon him, so deeply touched Billy that he lived three months longer than any
doctor thought possible.
One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse,
who believed in the hospice concept that no one should die alone, began to call
the family members to the hospital. Then she remembered the day Billy had spent
as a fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked if it would be possible to
send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his
transition.
The chief replied, "We can do better than that. We'll be there in five
minutes. Will you please do me a favor? When you hear the sirens screaming and
see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that there is not
a fire? It's just the fire department coming to see one of its finest members
one more time. And will you open the window to his room?"
About five minutes later a hook and ladde r truck arrived at the hospital and
extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open window. 16 firefighters
climbed up the ladder into Billy's room.
With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much
they loved him. With his dying breath, Billy looked up at the fire chief and
said, "Chief, am I really a fireman now?"
"Billy, you are, and the Head Chief, Jesus, is holding your hand," the
chief said. With those words, Billy smiled and said, "I know,
He's been holding my hand all day, and the angels have been singing." He
closed his eyes one last time.
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