NEW YORK — A young boy from Maui, Hawaii will become an honorary FDNY firefighter at the end of this month.
Trucker Dukes, 3, was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma when he was 19 months old.
Trucker travels frequently to New York with his mother for treatment, where they met FDNY Capt. Jim Grismer.
“I see this little boy excitedly walking towards me with his eyes aglow. I opened my arms and he basically climbed up and hugged me around the neck,” Grismer told KOHN. “It was as if we’ve been friends or brothers for years.”
From then on, the two fostered a heart-warming friendship. Grismer and other firefighters began to invite Tucker to visit the station, and hosted a birthday party for him there.
Tucker will be sworn in at FDNY headquarters in Brooklyn May 31.
“This honor is so special to us because Trucker-Boy really think he’s a fireman,” Tucker’s mother, Shauna Dukes said. “We are so blessed to have been adopted by the FDNY. Time and time again, I have watched big tough men fall in love with Trucker. It’s really something special.”
Funds are being raised so Trucker’s dad, a Maui firefighter, and his three siblings can attend the ceremony. You can donate here.