Ray’s Heroes of the Day: Firefighters rally for a sick South Jersey boy

There’s been an outpouring of support for a 7-year-old Gloucester County boy, who’s fighting acute myeloid leukemia.

Aiden Riebel already has become brother firefighter not just here, but in all 50 states and nearly a dozen countries, all because a family friend and full-time firefighter, Scott Sheldrick, launched a viral campaign.

Acute myeloid leukemia is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. While he had been in remission twice, doctors discovered the disease had returned last summer, and has since developed a fungal infection on top of it.

Last year Sheldrick started the campaign which had sworn Aiden in as Washington Township’s first honorary firefighter.

Since then, fellow firefighter Eric Fitzpatrick contacted the Heroes Memorial Foundation, an organization that rallies support for injured firefighters – and enlisted Aiden.

Since the page was set up, it’s garnered more than 5,000 likes, and fire departments the world over have enlisted Aiden as an honorary firefighter emblazoning his name on their equipment.

"I'm in shock by the amount of support we've gotten," Sheldrick said. "We thought it was just going to stay in our little area. It's exploded. We think it keeps him going. It makes him stronger."

Putting their lives on the line is just one aspect of the job firefighters do.

Helping to inspire and hopefully heal a life is something that goes above and beyond.

That’s why the firefighters who support Aiden Riebel in his time of need are our Ray’s Heroes of the Day.

To follow Aiden's Facebook page and learn how to help, visit this Facebook page.