The Manhattan Chapter of Project Fire Buddies made the rounds to its six fire buddies from within the District over the Christmas holiday, making sure each Fire Buddy felt extra special.
The Manhattan Fire Protection District started its chapter in 2022 and has been brightening the lives of its buddies ever since. The fire buddies live within the District, which encompasses all of Manhattan, Peotone, and Wilton Center.
One of those buddies, 17-year-old Mason Earley of Manhattan, was visited by the members of the District and gifted a twelve-string double-neck guitar.
Chief Malone, FF Valdarchi and FB Mason. Photo submitted
Mason Earley was diagnosed with optic hypothalamic glioma, a rare type of brain tumor. The tumors are often difficult to remove, and as they grow, they can impact the brain and vision.
In some cases, once treated, the pediatric tumor turns to scar tissue and no longer presents issues. Mason Earley’s mother, Erica Earley, explained that when these types of tumors are active in adults, the prognosis is worse.
“The fact that he still has this issue at almost 18 is a problem. Then you have to figure in the issues and side effects of treatment, and the effects of the different chemotherapies—damage to the liver, increased risk for seizure, stroke, heart attack, and all the things that go along with chemo,” Erica Earley explained.
Erica Earley recalled what led to her son’s diagnosis. She first noticed that Mason couldn’t see his favorite toy, Legos, while playing. She grew concerned and brought him to the eye doctor, but her initial concerns were dismissed.
She was told to monitor him and return in a month.
“Within that time, he spiked an extremely high fever, and his fingernails fell off,” Earley said. It didn’t take long before he was diagnosed with the rare brain tumor. Three days after diagnosis, Mason had his first chemotherapy port installed.
“He doesn’t ever remember not being on treatment because it started when he was seven years old,” Erica Earley said.
She further explained that he has undergone 10 rounds of chemotherapy in the last 12 years. His condition and chemotherapy treatment port prevented him from playing contact sports, so he channeled his energy into playing music.
“In treatment, he spent a lot of time at home. He taught himself to play piano and guitar. His love for guitars is immense—anything music, rock and jazz,” Earley said of her son.
She explained that Mason became a Fire Buddy this past year, and he has enjoyed the visits.
“What an awesome organization, awesome group. Everyone has been super nice, caring, and empathetic, just wanting to make Mason happy, which is always the goal,” Erica Early said of the Fire Buddies program.
“He’s awesome on the guitar, to say the least,” Dylan Ledvina emphasized. Ledvina is the President of the Manhattan Chapter of Project Fire Buddies and Mason’s Fire Buddy, who coordinates his gifts and visits.
Earley is one of the older Fire Buddies in the program at 17 but still deserves extra attention.
“He gets just as excited as some of the little kids. He may even be a little more interactive because he’s not scared of the truck or us. He was smiling ear to ear,” Ledvina said.
Ledvina explained that the visits are handled entirely by the Manhattan Fire Protection District’s Fire Buddies organization, which includes on-duty and off-duty personnel.
In fact, visits are made possible by MFPD members who volunteer their off-duty personal time, as those working on shift couldn’t handle them alone while simultaneously fielding fire and EMS calls.
“It’s truly inspiring to witness the dedication of the men and women of the Manhattan Fire Buddies Chapter,” Manhattan Fire Protection District’s Chief Steve Malone said.
“The smiles and joy we see on the faces of our fire buddies and their families are a reminder of why we do this important work,” he continued.
Project Fire Buddies, which started in the Chicago suburbs in 2016 by Firefighter Kurt DeGroot, is a statewide 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and uplifting children fighting critical illnesses.
Sometimes, those illnesses are terminal, making their work all the more poignant. Since its inception, some of Manhattan’s Fire Buddies have lost their battles.
Most recently, they had to say goodbye to Fire Buddy Madelyn Ronaldson, whose life was cut short after a courageous battle with Juvenile Sandhoff Disease, which is a terminal illness. Over time, the disease depletes cognitive ability, speech, and other critical neural functions.
Ronaldson’s sister, Mollie, still lives with the terminal neurodegenerative disease and is an active Fire Buddy.
For the Manhattan Chapter of Project Fire Buddies, losing Madelyn was a solemn reminder of the importance of making time to care for and support one another in difficult times.
“Despite the challenges we face, the impact we make in the lives of these families is what keeps us going. The Christmas season serves as a beautiful reminder of the power of community, support, and the unwavering commitment of our volunteers to bring hope and cheer to those who need it most,” Malone said.
Although this holiday season has ended, there will be no shortage of visits in the New Year, as the members of Project Fire Buddies aim to be present for all the important events and milestones in their buddies’ lives.
“We try to make them feel good. They’re as much our family as we are theirs. We’re very family-oriented people. We live together 24/7. Every third day, we’re together, so we bring that mentality to our fire buddies because that’s what they are to us— our family,” Ledvina said of how he and others feel about volunteering with Project Fire Buddies.
“Project Fire Buddies is about more than just making a visit in the fire truck and dropping off presents. It’s about building a relationship with the Fire Buddy,” Ledvina added.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.
The post MFPD Project Fire Buddies Makes an Impact appeared first on Southwest Regional Publishing.