Gerry McAdam turned 16 years old on November 22 and Make-A-Wish Canada, along with a tightly knit Hemmingford community, threw him a birthday party to remember.
McAdam has been fighting a rare and aggressive cancer since he was diagnosed in 2022, but he has dreamed of becoming a firefighter his whole life. Already a volunteer with the Hemmingford Fire Service, McAdam is following in his father’s footsteps and those of his great uncle, who is the community’s fire chief.
While he and his family have been navigating hospital visits, chemotherapy, and radiation, McAdam has kept a positive attitude, preferring to focus less on what he may have lost, and more on what he can give back.
After learning he was eligible for a wish through Make-A-Wish Canada, McAdam chose to build a multi-purpose training facility so area firefighters can train at home. Right now, volunteers with the fire service must travel over an hour away for training, but this will soon change. The municipality has approved of the project, and the land behind the fire station was selected as the optimal location.
On November 22, over 100 people gathered at the fire station for a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of Gerry’s Training Centre. Hemmingford Township’s mayor, Lucien Bouchard, congratulated McAdam and thanked him for the project he initiated “to benefit the firefighters and all those in the region.”
Danny Hadley, the assistant director of the fire service, also spoke. “He is always looking to the future. He never complains, he always shows up, and he has great ideas,” said Hadley, who also thanked McAdam. “Keep up the good work. As the fire department and the community, we are behind you 100 per cent.”
Lauren Donnelly, the Quebec chapter director for Make-A-Wish Canada, said McAdam’s wish is “supersized,” while acknowledging she has never seen a wish of this scope be granted before. “It will impact so many people, including future generations to come,” said Donnelly, noting Make-A-Wish will contribute $8,000 to the $100,000 total necessary to make this dream come true.
“It will really take a village to get this site funded,” she said, noting that a colleague shared McAdam’s wish with the fire community in Halifax, and they have already begun to fundraise. “This is reaching far beyond Hemmingford, far beyond Quebec,” she explained, noting how everyone who learns about McAdam’s selfless wish has been moved to support his desire to give back.
Representatives from Promutuel Vallée du St-Laurent were present during the groundbreaking and presented McAdam with a cheque for $12,000. François Bonnardel, the provincial minister of Public Security, has committed $1,500 to the cause, as has Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette.
Lynn Harkness, the principal at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School (CVR) where McAdam is a student, referred to him as a leader amongst leaders. “He just keeps on raising the bar for himself and everyone around him,” she explained, noting that McAdam has even started a firefighter club that meets weekly at CVR with the help of teachers Dawna Babin and Eric Ednie.
Along with his fellow students, McAdam was able to work with the Montreal Children’s Hospital to help educate other patients about fire safety and equipment. On August 27, the hospital’s Child Life Services and School Services departments collaborated to organize a visit by the Montreal Fire Department. Numerous firefighters came to support McAdam while patients explored the fire truck and enjoyed other activities.
Harkness says CVR is also standing behind McAdam. “We are going to try to and help in any way, shape or form,” she said, noting the school has the support of the New Frontiers School Board as well. Among other activities, the school will be holding a fundraiser after the holidays.
McAdam and his family have launched a GoFundMe campaign to ensure his wish for a training facility becomes a legacy in the Fire Service and community that holds him so dear. More information and a link to donate can be found online at: gofundme.com/f/gerrys-wish-a-legacy-for-local-heroes.