|
The 26-year-old mother stared down at her son
who was dying of terminal leukaemia. 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 fulfil all his |
|
|
dreams. |
|
|
Now that was longer possible. The leukaemia
would see to that. But she still wanted her son's dreams to come true. |
|
|
She took her son's hand and asked, "Bopsy,
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," Bopsy answered. |
|
|
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." |
|
|
Bopsy 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 Bopsy 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. |
|
|
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 Bopsy 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 Bopsy 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 Bopsy third floor open window and
14 firemen, and two firewomen climbed up the ladder into Bopsy'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, Bopsy looked up at the
fire chief and said, "Chief, am I really a fireman now?" |
|
|
"Bopsy, you are," the chief said. |
|
|
With those words, Bopsy smiled and closed his
eyes one last time. |
|
|
Having his dream come true, with all the love
and attention that was lavished upon him, Bopsy had lived three months longer than
any doctor thought possible. |
|
| Jack Canfield & Mark V. Hansen |
| authors |
