When you get down and think the world has forgotten you.
Stop and think again, this story show the love of a Mom
We all have those who love and care for us no matter what.
And, we still have hero's to look up to in the world today!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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 video taped for
the local news program. Having his dream come true, with
all the love and attention that was lavished upon him,
so deeply touched was 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
it's finest members one more time. And will you open the
window to his room?......Thanks."

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.

I want to Thanks Cindy for sending me this wonderful story.
Cindy, you are a joy to have in the family.


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