[Faith-talk] {Spam?} The Littlelest Fire Fighter

[Ericka]

I read this one doesn't the times and it always touches me again. Thank you for sharing Paul.

Ericka Short
"What is right is not always popular; what is popular is not always right."

 from my iPhone 6s

> On Jul 14, 2016, at 11:20 AM, Paul Smith via Faith-Talk <faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hey folks, this story from Phoenix, Arizona is so wonderful that I'm dispensing with the usual greeting.  So take a break from all the negative news one hears and sees, and read the following story, and see if you don't agree that it is one of the most heartwarming ones that you ever read or heard.
> 
> 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 foreman 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 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 window and 16 fire fighters 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.
> 
> See, I told you this was a heartwarming story and perhaps even a tear-jerker.  It has special significance for me because, in early June of 2010 I was feeling extraordinarily tired and not because of the weather.  I went to my doctor and he took some blood work.  It turned out that my white blood cell count was over 100,000, and further tests indicated that I had chronic lymphocytic leukemia.  You'd better believe me that I started to take stock of my life.  However a series of unprecedented events took place that dramatically lowered my WBC count, for which I praise God.  The foregoing story is affectionately and lovingly dedicated to you parents out there who had a similar experience with any young children who died prematurely, like Billy.  Maybe you'd like to share your stories of a similar nature, if possible.
> 
> And that will do it for today.  Until tomorrow when, Lord willing another article will be posted, may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul
> 
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