PEMBROKE — Matt Locklear, deputy chief of the Pembroke Fire Department, took time out of his day recently to help make one special little boy feel even more special after meeting him by chance.

“I have had the distinguished honor to meet Bradelyn, who impacted my life in just a few short hours,” said Locklear.

“Bradelyn came into my life at such an unexpected time,” continued Locklear. “One day I was going in for a regular work order and, to me, it was just another day in the office. Little did I know the order that I was working on was for Bradelyn’s mother and sister. I ended up having a very touching conversation with her about the love he has for fire trucks.

After talking with the family, Locklear decided to take Bradelyn for a ride of a lifetime.

“I found myself almost an hour later riding the streets of Pembroke with a little boy who saw me as a hero,” said Locklear.

“I was the man that was making a little boy’s day by taking out just a few hours and possibly changing his life forever,” continued Locklear. “Bradelyn was sitting high and proud in the fire truck when he mentioned to me that he also loves police officers.”

So off they went.

“We stopped in to say hello to Sgt. Locklear and his dog Zeus … Sgt. Locklear told Bradelyn a little bit about his job,” said Matt. “Alongside Sgt. Locklear, James Sampson, who is an officer in Pembroke, allowed him to sit in his patrol car and experience the ‘hot’ seat.

“I did not spend my afternoon with Bradelyn because of pity, or because he was sick,” Matt added. “I spent my afternoon with him because, when I was little, I remembered how cool it was to ride on a fire truck. When I was little, I felt like superman riding in these enormous trucks going to places that people ran from.”

It was a day that surely both of them will never forget.

“The opportunity and the imprint Bradelyn made on my life will forever hold a special place in my heart,” said Matt. “It gave me a breath of fresh air, a moment that I was able to use the skills I have acquired to save others.

I am not a firefighter for the glory, I am not a firefighter for the adrenalin rush or the praise I often receive. I am a firefighter because it is in my blood to help others, whether putting out a house fire or giving a little boy the best day of his life.”

Bradelyn’s journey

Bradelyn’s story of courage began in May 2013 when he was 3 years old.

“He had a stomach virus that would not go away,” said Bradelyn’s mother Roxanne Douglas. “After several trips to the pediatrician and a blood test, it was determined Bradelyn did not have a stomach virus, but that he was in kidney failure.

“After several other tests a biopsy test was sent to the Mayo Clinic, where it was confirmed Bradelyn was born with a rare metabolic disorder … oxalosis,” said Douglas.

To cure Bradelyn’s disease he would need a liver and kidney transplant.

“After 19 days on the transplant list,” said Douglas, “Bradelyn received his transplant at UNC Hospitals in July 2013. Bradelyn is the youngest combined liver-kidney transplant recipient at UNC Hospital and the youngest in the state of North Carolina.

“Bradelyn is 10 years old now and continues to thrive after his transplant,” continued Douglas. “However, this does not eliminate all his medical issues and struggles. Bradelyn will always be immunocompromised and he lives a different life than other kids his age.”

Bradelyn’s family is currently working with the Children’s Organ Transplant Association to raise money for current and future transplant expenses.

For information on Bradelyn’s journey or to make a donation, use the link https://cota.org/campaigns/COTAforWarriorBradelyn.

JJ Melton can be reached at [email protected].