A fall Sunday afternoon around the firehouse usually means a football game is on TV.
But this past Sunday in the large garage of the Oak Forest Fire Department Station 1, about 100 people gathered to watch TV that didn’t involve quarterbacks or touchdowns.
This was a watch party to view the ABC network show “Hearts of Heroes” and 14-year-old Cicero resident Reyna Arreguin was the star attraction. Arreguin has been fighting pancreatic cancer this year and her outlook and attitude impressed firefighters.
The South Suburban-based Project Fire Buddies group surprised her in June by arranging the Cicero Fire Department to stop by her house with a special guest – “Chicago Fire” actor David Eigenberg. He plays Lt. Christopher Hermann on the show, and is her favorite character because of his fatherly caring for his troops.
“I wasn’t notified about anything at all,” Arreguin said. “It was a whole big surprise. The Fire Department from my town came and when he popped out of a fire truck, it was even crazier.”
She said she had just graduated from Unity Junior High School in Cicero and was looking at graduation photos. Her family had a ruse in which they told her they were all going out to eat and then the fire trucks showed up.
The surprise was filmed by the “Hearts of Heroes” cameras and the show aired Sunday. Eigenberg was on hand in Oak Forest to enjoy the show, meet guests and take countless photos.
“She’s a sweetest, kindest, gentlest lady,” said Eigenberg, who has lived on the North Side of Chicago for 13 years. “She’s just very sweet and I’ve gotten to know her, and I’ve been to their house and she’s been on the set with us.
“She drew pictures of all the characters. Just a great person.”
Project Fire Buddies is the brainchild of longtime Oak Forest fireman/paramedic Kurt DeGroot and, after the “Hearts of Heroes” broadcast, he presented Arreguin with an award.
“Reyna, we appreciate the joy, laughter and moments of relief,” DeGroot told her. “Thank you for standing with us and being a beacon of hope and impact the lives who need it the most. Together we can create more good days for our firefighters.”
Project Fire Buddies officer Kevyn Holdefer, a Palos Park firefighter, was happy to see how this project all came together.
“When we made our first visit with her, it was an opportunity to surprise her with one of the biggest surprises she could have,” Holdefer said. “Then ‘Hearts for Heroes’ heard about it and wanted to shoot some of the visit.’”
The “Hearts for Heroes” show is hosted by former Chicago meteorologist Ginger Zee and Sheldon Yellon, the CEO and founder of BELFOR Property Restoration. The program showcases men and women who show bravery and kindness.
Project fire Buddies’ mission is to bring joy to kids struggling with critical illnesses.
Sometimes they visit children at their homes with lights blazing and sirens blaring. They bring gifts such as tickets to concerts and other special events.
Children are often invited to fire houses for tours, a chance to climb the rigs, to play catch, tell stories and even watch the firemen take a whipped cream pie to the face for laughs.
One of the people on the group’s roster of supporters is former Blackhawks player Brent Sopel.
Meanwhile, Arreguin has good and bad news about the progress of her health.
She said there is no more pancreatic cancer to be found but she is still recovering from surgery.
She’s had good days and some really bad days but overall she is maintaining a positive attitude.
“I feel so blessed to be able to survive what I went through,” she said. “It made me realize how amazing life truly is. It was a really big eye opener to show how special everything is.”
Arreguin, a freshman at Morton East, has been influenced by “Chicago Fire” and is looking at a possible career in that field.
“From watching the show, it sparked an interest in me,” she said. “If I could save people the way they save people, that would be so cool.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
