Mitchell Fallis/Lorain Fire DepartmentBy ZOE MOORE, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — Three-year-old Cameron Peete got the best surprise when the Lorain Fire Department in Ohio welcomed him home after his last cancer treatment.
After beating cancer, the Lorain firefighters surprised Cameron and his family with a drive-by parade of firetrucks and his own mini firetruck.
“It’s just been amazing, all of the support and encouragement,” Cameron’s mom, Adelaida Brown, said in an interview with ABC News’ Good Morning America.
Lorain City Council at-Large Representative Mitchell Fallis arranged the entire celebration with the firetruck fleet and signs in Cameron’s yard.
“We were honored today to participate in celebrating 3-year-old Cameron Peete’s homecoming from beating cancer after a 10-month hospital stay,” the Lorain Professional Firefighters Local 267 wrote on their Facebook page.
“It hits everybody here hard. Nobody ever wants to go on a call and wants to see a kid hurting,” Jonathon Stephanchick, president of the Local 267 firefighters union, told GMA.
The department has done drive-by visits before but said this time was special because of how young and inspiring Cameron is. Cameron, who has Down syndrome, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in November 2019.
“This was different, because he has spent almost a third of his life in the hospital,” Stephanchick said.
The union donated an electric toy firetruck to Cameron, who smiled after he got behind the wheel.
Brown said her family received an overwhelming amount of support from strangers.
“Sometimes donating isn’t enough, really reaching out to the family, send dinner do the little things,” she said.
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