Subject: The Littlest Firefighter {Insp}
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Sun Apr 22 2001 - 02:54:41 EDT
"The Littlest Firefighter"
The 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 videotaped 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 ladder truck arrived at the
hospital, extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open
window and 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," the chief said. With those words, Billy smiled
and closed his eyes one last time.
There is nothing more powerful in the world than love. Love
makes us give support
"Dear Lord, I ask you to bless my friends, reading this right
now. Show them a new revelation of your love and power.
Please, I ask you to minister to their spirit at this very moment.
Where there is pain, give them your peace and mercy. Where
there is self doubt, release a renewed confidence through
your grace, Amen."
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