Brave boys battling cancer become honorary FDNY firefighters
4-year-old River Laurence and 3-year-old Trucker Dukes are newest members of New York City Fire Department
The dream of becoming firefighters was made real for two boys receiving cancer treatment in New York City on Tuesday.
River Lawrence, 4, of Texas, and Trucker Dukes, 3, of Hawaii, are both undergoing treatment for neuroblastoma at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Neuroblastoma develops from the immature nerve cells of the body and most commonly arises in the adrenal glands, according to the Mayo Clinic.
According to Fox 5, the boys had chance encounters with firefighters that grew to comradery. Dukes’ father, Josh Dukes, is a firefighter in Hawaii.
“I don’t think we would have made it this far without the love and support and prayers from everybody,” Josh told Fox 5.
The boys were presented with personalized uniforms.
“They’re not words to describe it. We’re 1,700-plus miles from home and we have a really good connection with our fire department at home… the brotherhood from there spreads up here,” Laurence’s mother, Jocelyn Laurence, told Fox 5.
Both boys have a brotherhood for life.
“It’s inspirational for me that they want to be part of the FDNY,” FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro, told Fox 5. “… that they’re as brave as they are at such a young age.”