PETALING JAYA: He had always dreamed of becoming a fireman when he grew up but fate had other plans for him after he was diagnosed with cancer.
But Arsyad Ruzin got his wish fulfilled today after the Children’s Wish Society of Malaysia (CWS) came to his aid.
Through their help, Arsyad became a fireman, even if it was just for a day.
The Subang Jaya fire station in SS17 honoured him as one of its own and even helped him put out a fire.
The teenager was beaming with joy and gave the thumbs up to the firemen who made his wish come true.
Subang Jaya Fire Station head Syed Shahril Anuar Syed Sulaiman gave Arsyad a salute and said it was an honour for the firemen to fulfil his wish, together with the Lions Club of Subang Jaya.
“When we heard of Arsyad’s wish from CWS Malaysia, we immediately said yes. There isn’t anything we wouldn’t do to grant him his wish and bring a smile back to his face,” he said.
“We accorded him a fireman’s welcome and gave him a feel of what it’s like when we received a distress call, with sirens blaring from the fire engines and firemen rushing out to respond.”
Arsyad has been battling cancer since February 2011 and is wheelchair-bound due to his worsening condition.
He had undergone surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and communicates mainly through sign language as he struggles to speak.
On this occasion, Arsyad was also presented with a fire truck fondant cake by the CWS, a Bomba bag from the fire station and a Lego fire truck set from the Lions Club.
Subang Jaya assemblyman Michelle Ng, who spent the whole morning with Arsyad and his family, was almost moved to tears.
“It was heartwarming to see our community come around Arsyad and his family to give him the best day possible,” she said.
CWS Malaysia vice-president TH Teoh said they were glad Arsyad’s wish had been fulfilled.
CWS Malaysia is a national charity based in Subang Jaya which fulfils the wishes of children stricken with life-threatening illnesses. Established in 2007, the society has fulfilled the wishes of more than 1,500 people.
For more information, check out their Facebook Page at CWSMalaysia.