Javi Guzman, a 7-year-old Hanover boy, has faced a lot of challenges, including non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and a fire at his family’s house, but on Monday he experienced a dream come true.

He became a Hanover County firefighter.

Javi was sworn in by Fire/EMS Chief Jethro Piland at the conclusion of a ceremony held in the Board of Supervisors meeting room. In attendance were his classmates at Kersey Creek Elementary School, many Fire/EMS personnel and County officials. It was a full house.

But that was just the beginning. He spent the day with firefighters, riding in a fire truck, using a hose, climbing up an engine ladder and even riding a helicopter. He learned how to extricate someone from underneath a vehicle, put out a propane fire and even rescue a cat from a tree!

According to his parents, Martin and Amy Guzman, Javi has talked of being a firefighter for years. Hanover Fire/EMS worked with Make-A-Wish-Virginia to make his wish come true.

“He’s been waiting for this day to come,” said his proud mom, Amy Guzman. His dad Martin added, “As a little boy I remember all the time he would say, ‘I wanna be a firefighter one day’. I said, ‘well you have to work hard, one day you will.’”

On Monday that day came.