Orlando Boy Will be Firefighter for Day

WESH 2 News and the Make-A-Wish Foundation have teamed up to make dreams come true. Anyone could have picked Tony out in a crowd. He was the 4-year-old who was dressed as a firefighter, WESH 2 News reported. Tony has worn his firefighting suit nearly every day since his wish was granted by the Orlando Fire Department. He is so little, and everything around him at Fire Station No. 2 was so big, except for a custom firefighter suit. Tony learned that he couldn't be a firefighter without looking the part. Even Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer showed up for Tony's wish and declared Tony an official Orlando firefighter. Tony even got his own truck. "He wanted to see everything, he wanted to touch it. It was amazing," said firefighter David Giovannini. But, it was nothing like riding in the real thing. Most days, Tony feels just fine. He has had a dozen surgeries, including a gastronomy tube for feeding and a tracheotomy for breathing. During his day at the fire station, Tony got to go shopping with the firefighters. "He got to go in the cart. Actually, at one of the stores around here they do have a little firetruck we pushed around," Giovannini said. "He was waving to the camera, having the time of his life." After shopping, Tony grabbed a fire hose at the station and washed away all of his troubles. He was living his dream and dragging his fellow firefighters along by the hand every step of the way. "The impact that young man has had on all of us, I mean, the truck was almost silent afterwards. Somebody like that, to have what he has and have the spirit and the attitude he does is just absolutely amazing. It really hits home," Giovannini said. Tony thanked the firemen when the day was through. It now costs about $7,000 to grant a wish. There are 257 wishes in the process of being fulfilled. If you would like to donate, you can visit www.wishcentral.org, stop at any Bank of America location in Orange, Seminole, Lake, Polk and Osceola counties or call 407-622-HOPE. To comment on this story, send an e-mail to Jim Payne.