Clearwater firefighters name boy battling disease fire chief for the day

CLEARWATER, Fla. – The sun may not have been too bright all afternoon above Clearwater Fire Station 45, but its tiny visitor’s smile sure was.

Eli Bright beamed with each new firefighter he met during his two-hour visit to the station.

“To put a smile on somebody’s face, that’s what it’s all about,” said Truck Lt. Steve Salagaras. “It’s a reality check that I think we all need from time to time as well.”

Eli was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a condition that weakens the muscles in his body. He’s 3 years old but looks more like the size of an average 18-month-old. His condition is expected to worsen to the point where his muscles won’t be able to help him breathe on his own.

He’s confined to a wheelchair most of the time, but that didn’t keep him from exploring every inch of the firehouse.

“He can take over my duties for a little bit,” joked Chief Scott Ehlers, who named Eli Station 45’s Junior Fire Chief for the day. “He captured their hearts right from the get-go.”

Eli got to shoot the firehose, meet the firehouse dog and ride in a ladder truck. It’s a joyful spot in a year full of trips to the doctor.

“We were discharged with a death sentence. Hospice was in my driveway,” said his mother, Natalie Wheatley. “They basically told us, ‘Take him home and love him. He’s going to write his own story’.”

Eli was named after his uncle, who had recently passed away.

“I think we vow to just live each day to the fullest,” she said. “That’s what gets us through our days.”

The family is visiting from Kentucky. The weeklong vacation in Clearwater ended Friday with the fire station visit and a stop at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to meet Winter the dolphin.