Chad is a battalion chief at St. Clair Shores Fire Department – but deep down, he is truly a kid at heart. “Firefighters are nothing more than big kids,” Chad said. As a father with two boys of his own, Chad jumped at the chance to plan a memorable wish experience for Jayce. “To be able to bring joy to any child, but especially a child that wanted to be a firefighter ... that's kind of like our rallying cry,” Chad said.

Fellow firefighters joined Chad to ignite Jayce’s wish with bright moments. Together, they took Jayce on a firetruck ride, navigated a simulation smoke room, extinguished a real fire and hosted Jayce for a family meal, which is an essential part of firefighter culture. “There was no slowing down with him,” Chad said. “We all took good naps later that day!”

Realizing the Power of Wishes

Chad believes many people underestimate the positive impact they can have on their community, sharing that it was easy and rewarding to become a WishMaker. “With other organizations, you can donate, and you don't always see the end product of your donation or your time. And with Make-A-Wish, I did, and we did ... and being able to see that really helped us realize the power of this organization.”