Firefighters help 3-year-old boy with cancer celebrate his dream birthday
A 3-year-old boy, who has been battling cancer, had his dream birthday come true, thanks to the generosity of firefighters locally and across the nation.
Beckham Botts has had a love for fire trucks since he was around 1 -- when he saw a fire truck in their neighborhood, his mom, McKenna, told ABC affiliate KNXV-TV.
"He was just pointing at it," she recalled. "He couldn't even talk yet, just pointing at it."
Beckham's love for firefighting grew as he began sporting miniature uniforms and collecting every fire truck toy he could find.
His journey, however, has been far from easy.
Just two days before his birth, he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer, his father said.
Beckham spent his first holidays in the NICU and has endured countless hospital visits since then.
Neuroblastoma is a cancer that develops from immature nerve cells, most commonly affecting young children, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
It typically starts in the adrenal glands but can also form in areas such as the neck, chest, abdomen, and spine, according to the NIH.
Determined to make her son's third birthday unforgettable, McKenna asked firefighters nationwide to send birthday videos for Beckham.
The response was overwhelming, with departments sending heartfelt wishes and inviting him to visit their stations.
Local Phoenix firehouses even organized a special celebration in his honor.
At the event, Beckham had the opportunity to spray water hoses and interact with the firefighters.
"I can't even find the words. Honestly, thank you guys all so, so much for making our boy's day special," McKenna said. "It is so incredible to me, because when you think of firefighters, you think of strong and brave and all of those things, and that's exactly our Beckham."
