Littlest Firefighter

The following, circulated via email, was lifted almost word-for-word from a true account in the book Chicken Soup for the Soul. The only difference was that in the email the child's name was changed to Billy. The Spirit of Ma'at has looked into this story and found that it is true. Frank "Bopsy" Salazar really lived these events pretty much just as they were written.
The account begins:

A 26-year-old mother stared down at her son who was dying of 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, "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." Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come true."
Here, the book departs from the actual events just a bit. Bopsy had three wishes. The other two were to ride in a hot-air balloon, and to visit Disneyland. Also, the Chicken Soup account says that Bopsy's mom called the local fire department in Phoenix, Arizona, where they lived. Actually, she called the newly founded Make-A-Wish Foundation (this was 1981), and Bopsy became their first customer! It was the Foundation that made the arrangements to grant Bopsy's wishes.

The fire department agreed not only to let Bopsy ride around with them for a day, but to supply him with a full uniform, complete with a yellow coat and a helmet, custom-made just for him, and designated him the first honorary member of the Phoenix Fire Department. And they assigned a popular member of their department, "Fireman Bob" Walp, well known for his local TV appearances, to accompany Bopsy on his day as a firefighter.

The account continues:

Fireman Bob picked up Bopsy, dressed him in his fire-fighter's uniform, and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook-and-ladder truck. Bopsy got to help steer the truck 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 paramedics' van, and even the fire chief's car. He was also videotaped for the local news program.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation account of Bopsy's story adds: "Bopsy was made to feel at home at Fire Station No. 1 . . . . Along with Walp, Bopsy scrambled around the back of Engine 9's ladder truck, and turned on the horn. Following the ride, he doused a few cars with water from a 75-pound hose. At the end of the day, Bopsy was pinned with an official firefighter's badge.

"Bopsy also went on to experience his hot-air balloon ride and his trip to Disneyland. While in Anaheim, he was treated with every courtesy a visiting fireman could wish for from his Southern California colleagues, including being chauffeured to and from the Los Angeles airport in a fire truck and escorted around the park by two of his fellow firefighters from the Anaheim fire department."

The account continues:

Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Bopsy 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 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 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 Bopsy's third floor open window. Sixteen firefighters 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! and the head chief, Jesus, is holding your hand," the chief said. With those words, Bopsy 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.
Well, it was only five fireman that climbed in that window, not sixteen. A discrepancy here, but we don't imagine that Bopsy noticed it.

Yes, Frank "Bopsy" Salazar was their first customer. But since 1981 the Make-A-Wish Foundation has grown. In 1999, they filled 8,188 wish requests from children! You can visit them and learn more at wish.org.