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---------------------- Forwarded by Angela Barnett/HOU/ECT on 11/30/2000
09:35 AM --------------------------- "Curley, Kim" <KCurley@tmh.tmc.edu< on 11/30/2000 09:22:32 AM To: "'angela.barnett@enron.com'" <angela.barnett@enron.com< cc: Subject: FW: No Tears < -----Original Message----- < From: loretta-henry@reliantenergy.com < [SMTP:loretta-henry@reliantenergy.com] < Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2000 2:29 PM < To: debbie_m_smith@reliantenergy.com; keela-maddox@reliantenergy.com; < pat_chesser@reliantenergy.com; denise-hewitt@reliantenergy.com < Subject: No Tears < < 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 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 < 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 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. And Billy closed his eyes < one last time. < < Many people will walk in and out of your life, < But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. < < To handle yourself, use your head; < To handle others, use your heart < < Anger is only one letter short of danger. < < Great minds discuss ideas; < Average minds discuss events; < Small minds discuss people. < < He who loses money, loses much; < He, who loses a friend, loses much more; < He, who loses faith, loses all. < < < <
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