By EMS1 Staff
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A battalion chief’s daughter was made an honorary paramedic Monday.
Osceola News-Gazette reported that Holly Thomason, daughter of Battalion Chief Cleve Thomason, recently expressed her desire to become a paramedic. Thomason served the Kissimmee Fire Department for 31 years before retiring five years ago. Holly was born with Cri-du-chat syndrome, which causes intellectual disability and delayed development.
She grew up in KFD fire stations and was fascinated with CPR dolls growing up.
“Cleve and I talked about it and said let’s make her dream come true,” Fire Chief Jim Walls said. “Holly is a daughter to all of us.”
Holly was presented an official KFD shirt, was given a paramedic patch, identification badge and a stethoscope with her name engraved on it. Crews also took her on a fire truck ride, where she worked on a mock patient, engineer Travis Yates, in the back of the truck.
She was given a certificate when crews returned to the station.
“It means more than I could put into words,” Chief Thomason said. “It’s what she wanted all of her life.”