Marathon Petroleum Corp.’s (MPC) Salt Lake City refinery has long been active in its local community. As a result, when Make-A-Wish Utah learned about Jesse Mecham, an 18-year-old with germ cell cancer in the Salt Lake City area who wants to be a firefighter, the nonprofit looked to MPC for help.
“When I heard of Jesse, I immediately broke down in tears,” said the refinery’s Fire Chief Brandon Phillips. “My son, Payton, was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 11 months old in 2007, and I was living at the hospital after work hours wondering if my baby was going to survive. Payton overcame his leukemia and was granted a wish through Make-A-Wish in 2009.”
Jesse’s late grandfather is the inspiration for his wish. He was a New York City firefighter and one of the first responders when the World Trade Center fell during the 9/11 attack. Years later, he became Jesse’s guardian.
After his grandfather passed away from lung cancer a few years ago, Jesse went to live with the family of a friend.
“When a wish is granted, a child replaces fear with confidence, sadness with joy and anxiety with hope. We cannot think of a more deserving kid than Jesse to receive a dose of hope,” said Daniel Dudley, Make-A-Wish Utah CEO and President.
Make-A-Wish Utah granted Jesse’s wish to attend fire school at Utah Valley University, providing a $7,500 scholarship with support from the refinery. About a dozen refinery fire department members surprised Jesse at his home with news of the scholarship. They showed up in a ladder rescue truck with gifts that included boots, gloves and all the other gear he will need for training.
“We staged it around the corner to arrive in front of the house with lights and sirens going, and Jesse and the family came out running to check it out,” Phillips said. “Jesse said, ‘I don’t know if I should smile or cry.’”
The fire department members spent about two hours with Jesse, giving him a ride in the truck, showing him how it operates and explaining the uses of various pieces of equipment.
“Jesse’s foster mom said to me, ‘You guys will never know what this kid has been through, and you will never know the impact you have made today,’” said Phillips. “The hope we all witnessed on Jesse’s face, as we showed him how the ladder operates and he looked up to the sky, said it all. Dream big, Jesse!”
