Tears of Joy Filled Our Eyes With This Story

Posted on January 29th, 2008 by wwaddell.
Categories: My Thoughts, Site Information.

Warining… Computer Scrapbook Friend,

We both were in tears before we even got to the end.  So, before you start the story, here’s the one bit of scrapbook news we have for you this week.

Kathy just added Nature 574 thru 587 to the FREE stationery site at: www.1-Computer-Stationery.com

Now, prepare to have your heart warmed…

This true story first appeared in “Chicken Soup for the Soul”, and was later verified by Snopes.com  Billy, whose real name was Frank Salazar, was the first “wish child” helped by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 
 
 
In Phoenix, Arizona, a 26-year-old mother stared down at her 6-year-old 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 of his dreams.  Now that was no longer possible.  The leukemia would see to that.  But she still wanted her son’s dream 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, 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 6-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 fie station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards!  And if you’ll give us his size, 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 town, so we can get them fast.”
 
 Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy, dressed him in his uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook-and-ladder truck.  Billy Got to sin 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 of them.  He rode in different fire engines, the Paramedic’ s van, and even the Fire Chief’s car. 
 
 He was also videotaped for the local new 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, and so she called the Fire Chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman, in uniform, 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?  Say that it’s the fire department coming to see one of its finest members one more time.  Oh, and will you open the window to his room?”
 
About five minutes later a hook-and-ladder truck arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder up to Billy’ s third floor open 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, and the Head Chief, Jesus, is holding your hand.” 
 
With those words, Billy smiled and said, “I know.  He’s been holding my hand all day, and the angels have been singing too.”
 
He closed his eyes.

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Happy Scrappin’

Kathy and Wes

www.MyPrincessCrafts.com
www.EZScrapbookGuide.com
www.ComputerScrapbookTraining.com

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