Fireman starts crying after a little boy walks into the fire station with a note.

When the child handed the fire captain a note with a request on it, the captain and his crew broke down in tears.

Nobody was prepared for this.

Max Krimzer had spent his whole childhood and adolescence in New York City.

It should come as no surprise that he was the captain of the New York Fire Department, considering he came from a family of firefighters.

Considering his neighborhood was something he cherished, Max had experienced a catastrophe at work that left him unsure about what to do for the rest of his life.

He was aware of the risks associated with his work, but this particular circumstance struck close to his heart.

A good individual who was a member of Max's team had left.

The young man who had just joined the department was a member of the team.

Even though the captain had only had a few encounters with the rookie firefighter, he still felt accountable for his troops.

The captain had been consumed for weeks by Max's sadness over the recent loss of the fire department.

The deep hole he dug himself seemed impossible for him to escape.

That's when he experienced a significant shift.

One day, Max surprised everyone by going to the scene of a minor incident and lending support to the squad.

After resolving the matter, the company got ready to return to the station.

He desired for other firefighters to be aware of his support for them.

Over 10,000 firemen from the FDNY are employed at numerous stations throughout the region.

Because of this, a lot of firefighters might have responded to the area on a given day, but Max happened to be in the right place at the right time to witness something significant.

A small youngster approached Max and wanted to make a special request.

Max was used to seeing young, enthusiastic kids approach him to view the fire truck.

He could tell right away, though, that this youngster was planning something else.

Stephen Dukes was the young child's name.

He had been coming to the city for a while now.

The little child believed that the greatest place to pursue his particular passion was New York City.

He never dreamed his fantasy would become a reality.

Stephen was visiting his mother in New York, where they were residing at Ronald McDonald House.

The child saw the FDNY firefighters nearby as he and his companion were making their way back from an excursion.

His excitement grew.

At that moment, he noticed the fire department's captain.

When Max was seen returning to his fire engine while on the scene of the call, Stephen and his mother had made plans to go home.

At that point, the two went up to speak with the captain, during which Stephen disclosed his unique request.

Stephen told Max that he was the world's biggest fan of firefighters.

Max was shocked to learn just how widespread this affection was, even though it was common. Sarah, Stephen's mother, had previously told Max about the assortment of firefighting related vehicles and trinkets her son owned.

He had no interest in toys or other subjects.

The boy's life involved the fire service in a big way.

In addition to his casual trousers and t-shirt, Stephen was wearing a firefighter's jacket over this.

Max thought this was quite cute and it also demonstrated to him how passionate Stephen was about battling fires.

What sparked Stephen's passion for firefighting, Max inquired of his mother.

Max learned that Sarah's husband worked as a firefighter.

Stephen visited his dad at the fire station every day and had grown up hearing stories about firefighters as a result.

When Max questioned Sarah about her husband's involvement with the New York Fire Department, she gave him a bizarre response.

Sarah was originally from Maui, Hawaii, and in a week she would be going back there with Stephen.

Stephen's father had a job here.

This confused everyone, as they all assumed Stephen was attending school in Hawaii.

Sarah clarified that he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma two years prior.

Stephen needed therapy in New York, so Sarah travelled there with her kid.

A common kind of cancer called neuroblastoma usually strikes young children under five.

For individuals with the illness like Stephen, there is no treatment.

They had exhausted all possible options to assist Stephen.

Stephen's body had suffered greatly as a result of his treatments, but the side effects of his medication were really wearing him down.

After three rounds of chemotherapy and two surgeries, the doctors tried everything, but nothing helped.

After hearing Stephen's tale, Max was interested in the boy's desire to join the fire service.

The captain wanted to make the occasion memorable because he recognised Stephen's enthusiasm.

Before Stephen went to Hawaii, he came up with a scheme and scheduled the ceremony for him to become an honorary firefighter.

With his family there to encourage him, the ceremony went well despite Stephen's anxiety.

Joshua, Stephen's father, helped him make his commitment to become a fireman by carrying him to the stage.

A few days following the ceremony, Stephen and his family celebrated his birthday with FTNY Fireman.

It had been his biggest wish come true.

The family dedicated themselves to living life to the fullest after deciding to stop Stephen's cancer treatment, they documented their adventure on social media under the name Stephen's Tough Challenge.

British Columbia was the destination of Stephen and his family's first trip.

Stephen perished in his mother's Hawaii home less than a year later.

He'd fulfilled his childhood ambition of being an honorary firefighter and had made priceless memories with his loved ones.

  

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