Chardon boy with rare cancer becomes firefighter for a day

CHARDON, Ohio (WJW) – A local boy who has been battling a rare cancer for the past year and a half has been granted a very special wish.

Lucas Kelling, 4, was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma and had only a 1% chance of survival. As of January 2020, Chardon The boy endured five rounds of chemotherapy, a 12-hour tumor removal and two stem cell transplants that almost took his life.

However, now not only Lucas despite all the difficulties but also his dream of becoming a firefighter has come true.

Jamie Kelling, Lucas’ mother, said: ‘It’s been a dream come true just to see him happy and being a kid again.

On Thursday, the Chardon Fire Department partnered with A Special Wish Foundation Cleveland to make some of Lucas’ dreams come true.

“We took the opportunity, saying sign up with us, we want to do this,” said Chardon Fire Chief Larry Gasbar.

Gasbar picked up Lucas and his family from their home in a fire truck. and then took them to the fire station where Lucas was immediately sworn in. He later trained to be a firefighter and paramedic; Take the engine lift and also spit fire.

“This is very interesting. He spent a lot of time in the hospital and couldn’t do much,” said Eric Kelling, Lucas’ father.

While that’s fun for the 4-year-old, Lucas told FOX 8 that’s not why he wants to be a firefighter.

“I want to save everyone,” Lucas shouted.

And very quickly within the day, he also achieved that wish. A call for help said that Spider-Man was trapped and frozen inside an ice cream truck. So Lucas and other firefighters ran to King Kone and the brave boy saved his favorite superhero from an ice cream truck.

Spider-Man then thanks Lucas by giving him a drone and Mayor Chardon, Jeffrey Smock, gives him a key to the city.

“Lucas was a special kid and he really beat all the odds. So we’re excited and excited to make him a firefighter today,” said Emily Pitera, program director of A Special Wish Foundation Cleveland. “It’s been a great day for him!”

It was truly a wonderful day his parents say they will always remember.

Currently, Lucas has an 80% chance of survival, but that can improve as he grows stronger every day. Eric and Jamie Kelling said they are forever grateful to everyone who made this day possible and for all the support and prayers.

“Really we just try to live life right now, just enjoy every single day that we have together, not just Lucas, but our two other kids and make every moment matter, ‘ said Jamie.

A Special Wish Foundation Cleveland recently collaborated with Nurenberg Paris. Cleveland-based nonprofit charity that grants wishes to children from birth to age 20.

As of today, they say they are “Proudly granting wishes to 201 children in the Cleveland area who wish to receive care at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, UH Rainbows Children’s and Children’s Hospital, Akron Nursery. and the Ronald McDonald House. “