It takes a certain amount of bravery to be a volunteerfirefighter, but a group of county firefighters learned somethingnew about courage from a 10-year-old boy recently.

Michael Chase Norris, the son of Mike and Teresa Norris, waslooking into the face of a surgery he might not come back from, ashe suffers from a rare brain condition. Michael’s brain is the sizeof an adult’s, and in effect had outgrown his skull and waspressing on his nerves. A recent surgery that could have beencrippling or life-ending had people who cared about the boy tryingto find ways to distract him from the frightening reality that layin front of him.

He told neighbor Alonna Smith, a firefighter and first responderwith Heuck’s Retreat Volunteer Fire Department, that all in theworld he wanted was a chance to just hang out and be one of theguys, without any focus on his condition. He also said he’d like toride on the fire truck during the Christmas Parade. These thingsgot the wheels turning in Smith’s head.

“He said I just want to be a kid, something where nobody worriesabout a medical condition, and he just wants to hang out withpeople, without worrying about surgery coming up,” Smith said. “Iknew he wanted to just feel like he’s one of the guys.”

So Smith talked to Heuck’s Retreat Fire Chief Scott Etheridgeand his wife Donna Smith, and they put together the kind of daythat a little boy doesn’t soon forget, especially not when facingmajor surgery that could alter the course of his life, or even endit.

Michael got to ride in the fire truck, spray the hose, wear theairpack, and spend time with real firefighters. Members of thedepartment also got him a cake and made him an honorary Heuck’sRetreat firefighter.

“As a volunteer, you’re in this for one reason, and that’s tohelp people. When you have a little boy facing such a major ordealyou want to help,” Alonna Smith said. “When they asked him what wasgoing to happen in his surgery, he said ‘They’re going to cut myskull open, I might be paralyzed, and I might die.’ He’s touched alot of our lives.”

Etheridge said the same thing. He said talking to Michael putbravery in a new light.

“The best part of that day was meeting him,” Etheridge said.”For me it was a pleasure, it was an honor for me to let this youngman achieve one of his goals that he may never get to dootherwise.”

Michael really seized the day, Etheridge said,

“It was like a kid in a candy store,” he said. “He was runningwide open, having a ball – he wanted to try everything, wanted todo everything. He really wanted to learn.”

While there was concern about the surgery Michael would have togo through, Etheridge said the boy was still as upbeat as ever onceit was over. He said he was shocked to find that even though he andMichael had only spent part of a day together, the boy still knewexactly who he was when he went to visit him after surgery.

“I went to the hospital, and after just one day of meeting me,he remembered me,” Etheridge said. “At 10 years old, that’samazing. He’s an awesome kid, real smart and real bright, anddefinitely very easy to get to know and care about.”

And Donna Smith said given the circumstances, in her mind it’sclear who the hero is.

“We take a back seat to that little boy: He’s amazing,” shesaid. “We should be downplayed compared to that little boy and hispersonality. I couldn’t believe how brave he was when he said, ‘I’mnot worried about it but I’ve got to wear a helmet for the rest ofmy life.'”

Michael’s strength has become something of an example to thefire department as well, his neighbor said.

“He’s an honorary member, he’s one of us,” Alonna Smith said.”He’s going to ride in the fire truck at the Christmas Parade,because he’s definitely a part of our family. Everyone asks abouthim and when he can come out there again.”

The sooner Michael can come visit the department that now callshim their own again, the better, department members said.

“It was a pleasure for me and for the team, all of Heuck’sRetreat had a ball,” Etheridge said. “Everyone had a great time.Hopefully things will work out to where he can come out and join usagain one day and do some more things with us.”

“I haven’t gotten to meet him a whole lot, but what I’ve seen ofhim, I’m really impressed,” said Donna Smith. “He really didsomething special for us.”