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 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
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 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 the 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 and extended its ladder
up to Billy’s third floor
open window——–
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,’ the chief
said With those words, Billy smiled and said, ‘I know,
He’s been
holding my hand all day,
and The angels have been singing..’

He closed his eyes one last time.