“If I hadn’t had my wish experience as a kid, I might not have had the inspiration to join the fire department in the first place and be where I am today,” says 18-year-old Ezra, from Mars, PA.

After he was diagnosed at the age of five with a life-threatening metabolic disease, Ezra had no idea that this very wish would become a huge turning point in his childhood.

Back when his wish came true in 2004, six-year-old Ezra was receiving various therapy and treatment for his medical condition. Ezra couldn’t help but think how cool his new firetruck and playhouse were as he spent his summer days in the playhouse with his friends. Ezra drove the truck up and down the street, which brought the neighborhood together and gave him the opportunity to meet his childhood friends.  Ezra’s older brother would use his video camera to capture them as they played; he even filmed their own movie, “Ladder 165,” where Ezra and his friends pretended to be firefighters who rescued people from emergencies.

Now, Ezra doesn’t need to pretend anymore. After a difficult time where he struggled with his medical condition, Ezra fought back and began firefighter training. At the age of 14, Ezra became a junior volunteer firefighter. While training proved difficult because of his energy limitations, Ezra was determined to give it his all. His hard work resulted in a boost in confidence in himself and his academic abilities; he went from struggling academically as a freshman in high school, to pursuing his dreams of becoming an engineer as a senior. Along with the skills he learned, Ezra feels that the most memorable experience as a firefighter has been meeting his best friends through the fire department.

While Ezra didn’t realize at the age of his wish how much it truly meant, he can now say that his imagination encouraged and inspired him to follow his dreams. During the summer of 2013, Ezra responded to a commercial building fire in his town, where he took action without receiving direct order. He raised ground ladders to upper floor windows of the building to provide an emergency exit for the firefighters inside. At the age of 18, Ezra rose to the ranks of firefighter because of his proficiency in the skills and techniques, along with his passion.