Fall River Firefighters Show Support For 5-Year-Old Boy On His First Day Of School
FALL RIVER (CBS) -- Logan Franco lost his dad when he was just a baby, but on his very first day of school, the five-year-old received plenty of support. Firefighters lined the entrance of Holy Name School in Fall River to high-five and hug the boy Tuesday morning.
"I thought this would be a great way to ease him a little bit," Fall River District Fire Chief Jeffery Bacon told WPRI-12.
Bacon worked with Adam Franco, Logan's dad. "First time I worked with him, I knew he was hardworking and he was dedicated but I had no idea the strength he had until he battled cancer," Bacon said.
Franco was diagnosed with a brain tumor eight months after he joined the department.
"It wasn't typical to see in a 28-year-old healthy man. So, they said it's something they usually saw in a 65-year-old man and older. They were very reluctant to link it with his career and with his job," said Angela, Adam's widow.
He carried on working for two more years.
"He was really sick but he still came to work. That's just the kind of guy he was," said Bacon.
In the meantime, Logan was born.
"We conceived while Adam was on chemo and radiation, so it was quite a shock to find out we were pregnant," said Angela.
Adam passed away in March of 2015. Angela said little Logan is a spitting image of his father.
"He knows Daddy lives up in heaven, but he just doesn't understand why."
Logan is able to spend a lot of time at the Flint Reney/Eastwood Fire Station, where his father once worked. He was thrilled to see the firefighters outside of his school and hopes the first day of school tradition carries on.
Bacon agrees. "We're going to make sure this kid knows who his father was, what he did, and what he meant to all of us, and that's something we'll do forever."