The life of a fire fighter is full of uncertainty; you never know what call will come in or how you’ll be asked to make a difference. But for Romulus, MI Local 4126 President John Thiede, one unexpected phone call this holiday season led to a Christmas wish for a little girl and her terminally ill dog.
Jessica Payton, mother to 4-year-old Kayleigh, was grappling with the heart-wrenching decision to say goodbye to their beloved 16-year-old dog, Bella. As the family prepared for their final moments with Bella, Kayleigh made a simple yet heartwarming request for Bella to meet Santa before saying goodbye.
“I mean, I didn’t even intend for this to be this big at all,” said Payton. “I just went on a community Facebook page and asked if anyone knew where I could take a dog and a kid to see Santa. When we told Kayleigh that we had to put Bella to sleep, the first thing she said was that she wanted Bella to meet Santa. And that’s when I knew I had to try and make it happen.”
I’m so grateful for the kindness of the fire fighters and everyone who helped. We’ll always be grateful for what they did for us.
kayleigh’s mother jessica payton
Payton’s post went viral in the local Facebook group, and help came from all over, including the local fire department.
“It just took off from there,” Payton said. “I never expected anything like this. People started contacting me, and then one of the fire fighters reached out to say that Santa was going to come to our house on a fire truck.”
When Thiede was asked to help bring Santa to Kayleigh’s home, he didn’t hesitate. “We are usually pretty busy,” Thiede said. “We were asked to deliver Santa on a fire truck filled with gifts, and we knew it was something we had to do.”
Payton says her daughter ran to the door as the fire truck made its way down her street. “It gave her something to hold onto during a tough time,” said Payton.
Bella passed away shortly after the surprise, but the Payton family says the visit from the community and fire fighters brought Christmas cheer to Kayleigh through the loss.
“I’m so grateful for the kindness of the fire fighters and everyone who helped. We’ll always be grateful for what they did for us,” said Payton.
