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By AMY FRYE
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (California)
FONTANA, Calif. - Oscar Medina knew there was no way he would ever achieve his dream of becoming a firefighter, but that didn’t stop him.
After the teenager had a tennis ball-sized tumor removed from his brain 1 1/2 years ago and was given just six months to live, Medina still faithfully attended his Fire Explorer training drills, academy and events — health permitting.
Medina, 19, died Monday at Loma Linda University Medical Center.
Even when Medina’s tumor had grown back in the past few months, preventing him from moving his right arm and leg, Jay Hausman, coordinator for the Explorer program in Fontana, said the teen still showed up in uniform to events to help out in any way he could.
The last event Medina attended was the Fontana Teen Fest on April 29.
“Even though he knew death was around the corner he still gave 100 percent to whatever he did, still had a positive attitude,” Hausman said.
Medina and his mother, Milagros, lived in Fontana — a single child and single mother who supported each other.
Medina worked the graveyard shift at Big Lots while going to Chaffey College and training as an Explorer in order to help his mother out with finances, Hausman said.
“He was more worried about his mom and how she was going to handle it when he was gone,” Hausman said.
While attending Fontana High School as a freshman, Medina joined the San Bernardino County Fire Department’s Explorer program the first year Hausman started it in Fontana.
“The first year he was not your typical Fire Explorer. He was very much into his boxing career. He was doing amateur boxing and had the face to show it,” Hausman said.
But soon Medina became fully dedicated to the Explorer program, which is aimed at helping teenagers and young adults prepare for a career in fire service.
“He wanted nothing more than to be a firefighter. He talked about it all the time,” said fellow Explorer Jenny Coulson, 19.
During the almost five years that Coulson knew Medina, she never remembered him being down, not even after his fatal diagnosis.
Fellow Explorer April Reece, 19, agreed.
“Oscar was just really full of life, and when he was first diagnosed, that didn’t stop him. He came to our meetings with smiles and didn’t let it get him down. He was always positive and always wanted to make things better — he was a fighter,” Reece said.
Hausman said Medina had accepted his impending death with a maturity that was unusual for someone his age and would talk openly about it.
In December 2004, shortly after Medina’s diagnosis and brain surgery, the San Bernardino County Fire Department recognized him as an honorary firefighter and presented him with a real firefighter’s badge.
More than 20 different fire departments in Southern California, including those from Riverside, Ontario, Palm Springs, Barstow and Apple Valley came to the celebration to recognize Medina.
Hausman said the teen was overcome by the honor.
“At that point he realized that the fire service was a big family and we were there to take care of him and we considered him a part of our family as an Explorer,” Hausman said.
Medina had two last wishes before his death, to ride on a fire engine and to have a firefighter’s burial.
He saw his first wish come true with tears in his eyes as Hausman and his crew took him for a ride on their engine with lights flashing and sirens wailing six months ago.
His last wish will come true next week, when he receives a traditional firefighter burial that is usually reserved for those who have died in the line of duty.
“He’s going to ride in the middle of the fire engine to the burial and that will be his hearse,” Hausman said.
Final funeral arrangements have not yet been made, but a viewing will be held Monday with the funeral to follow Tuesday.