Dear Captain Greg and Captain John,

My husband and I do not know how to express our gratitude for the warm welcome you gave to our three little girls.  Two weeks ago, my six-year-old Matisse went on a fieldtrip to your firehouse.  At that time, I expressed to Captain Greg how I would have loved to bring my four-year-old, but was nervous that she would have been a distraction to the other kids due to some of her special needs.  Captain Greg said, "Please, bring her by any time and we will make it really special for her."  That is exactly what happened!  My husband and I went to your firehouse a few days later.  The two of you made everything so special for her, from letting her put the ladder down to giving her a ride around the block in the fire engine.

Butter, whose real name is Isabella, was born two months premature.  She spent the first two months of her life in the neonatal intensive care unit at Loma Linda University.  Because she was born so early, we did not yet have a name picked out for her.  Matisse, her big sister, wanted to call her baby Butter and it just stuck.  So, that's the history behind her name.

One week after coming home from the hospital, she was rushed back to the NICU because she stopped breathing.  We have had to call 911 on many other occasions for Butter, all of which involved a fire truck.  Although the firefighters were always very helpful and friendly, Butter began to associate fire trucks with negative thoughts of hospitals, needles and discomfort.  Because of your kindness, she was finally able to have a positive experience with firefighters and the fire truck. 

Butter was diagnosed with Epilepsy and Cerebral Palsy, which often requires her to wear a helmet.  That day you guys allowed her to exchange her pink protective helmet, for your red one.  We will never forget our visit to the Devore Station - #2 firehouse.

Thank you,
Ryan and Desiree Rainbolt