Paralyzed Man With Firefighter Dreams Gets Hundreds Of Fire Patches

INDIANA -- He had dreams of becoming a firefighter but an accident forever changed 23-year-old, Dylan Ferguson.

Dylan from Indiana was in a serious moped accident at the age of 16, that left him paralyzed. But the accident hasn’t kept him down.

“It’s an uphill battle and everyone asks why I stay so positive and I mean, there’s nothing else you can do,” said Dylan.

A firefighter with the Buffalo Fire Station later brought Dylan a fire patch. It was the start of something pretty amazing.

According to WLFI, an employee with a mobility company noticed Dylan’s fire patch collection. That’s when she took to Facebook with hopes to add to his collection.

Soon Dylan started receiving patches and t-shirts, “When I see the mail, I’m yelling ‘mail’s here, mail’s here’ and my mom or my nurse run out there and bring it in,” he said.

Dylan said reading the letters and looking at the patches bring a smile to his face every day.

Tom Steindler, a firefighter with the Valparaiso Fire Department soon heard about Dylan. He showed up with not only a patch but his retired firefighter turnout coat and a helmet with Dylan’s name on it.

Steindler said, “I know he really truly understands and he appreciates what it is to be a fireman, what it is for the brotherhood, and to appreciate things that are given to him as well as giving back to others.”

Dylan now has up to 336 patches.

His best word of advice, “Live every day and see what comes next.”

If you have a patch you can send it to Dylan Ferguson at 9211 N. 650 E. Monticello, IN 47960.