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Sandy Springs firefighters scale down children's hospital, meeting patients from window
A group of Sandy Springs firefighters went to the top of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to practice rappelling down the side of the 80-foot building. They were able to meet and surprise some of the children along the way.
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga - Some Sandy Springs firefighters decided to go to the top of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite to do some training. As they rappelled down the 80-foot building, they made some new friends along the way.
As they lowered themselves floor-by-floor, they would pause at the windows and wave to the tiny patients.
"Not everyone wants someone in the room with the kids, so it was a cool way of them getting to be close to us without us having to go in their rooms," said Capt. Kyle Sweeney.
The first responders saw the children's eyes light up. Both the children and the firefighters reached out to each other, and an instant bond was formed.
"For us to be able to feel that emotional connection with a piece of glass between us," said Lt. Anderson.
"It really brightened his day," said Zach Lansdell, whose son Levi is a patient at Children's.
Three-year-old Levi has been in the hospital for 200 days. His parents, Karli and Zach, say seeing the firefighters was one of his best days.
"It really made a huge impact on Levi and was a huge morale booster," said Zach.
After seeing the sweet smiles of the children through the windows, the first responders wanted to meet them, so they headed inside.
"To see the happiness it brings them that's fulfilling for us," said Capt. Sweeney.
"Every kid in there has a story, every kid, every family member. They don't have any idea what kind of joy they gave us," said Lt. Anderson.
Lt. Chris Mileshko was among the firefighters. His father's video company, Mileshko.com, took some unforgettable photos of video of the special day.
The firefighters say it was an emotional day, some of them have gone back to the hospital to visit some of the children they met, and have developed friendships with their parents.