A dream came true recently for 13-year-old Rodolfo Alegandro Caceres at Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Station 47 when he was made an honorary firefighter.
The seventh grader at Glades Middle School in Kendall was born with muscular dystrophy, a disease that progressively weakens muscles.
“He’s always telling me that when he grows up he is going to be a firefighter,” said Lucy Caceres, Rodolfo’s mother. “He is not a kid of a lot of words. But if you see his body language and those that know him, we look for a certain smile; it is really small, but he has had it since yesterday.”
Rodolfo spent the day going out on calls with the rest of “the guys,” really experiencing what it’s like to be firefighter. He made a special stop at his school, where the band and his friends welcomed him.
“This is extremely important to us,” said Chief Herminio Lorenzo. “Any time we can welcome someone new to our fire department it is a great day, especially when it’s someone who we care so much for.”
This life-changing and unforgettable experience has changed Rodolfo’s life.
“We rarely see him this happy…there are no words,” Lucy Caceres said as she wiped tears from her face.
