BALDWIN COUNTY, Ga. — 18-year-old Garry Mitchem has always dreamed of becoming a firefighter for Baldwin County.
His disability doesn't stop him from achieving that dream, or helping his community.
"I love this fire department, I love Milledgeville, I love both the county and the community," he said.
He also said he's the fire department's biggest fan, and his love for it comes from his dad.
"He was a firefighter from DeKalb County from 1966 all through 1997," Mitchem said.
Garry wants to follow in his dad's footsteps, but in the mean time he spends his time listening to the fire department scanner.
"Every time there is an accident or a fire, I post online to let the community know when a call comes out for an accident or a structure fire, or any type of fire," Mitchem said.
Garry has Prader-Willi Syndrome, which is a rare genetic disorder that causes physical, mental, and behavioral problems.
"I have special needs, which is a form of downs. I'm trying to be one of them, but with my condition I don't know if I can do it, but you know you can always try to help the best you can," he said.
Garry's mother, Carol, asked people to send them birthday cards a couple of weeks ago on social media, but Jesse Law and nine other rookie firefighters thought they could do one better.
They threw him a birthday party at the station.
"He said it was the best day of his life, and I think everyone-- no matter if someone has a disability or not-- you should treat them right," Law said.
Garry says he'd never been in a fire truck before this, but he says now he feels just like one of the firefighters.
"You know, I honestly thought I didn't have any friends. You know, when I found out I really did have friends. I didn't call them friends, I call them family. It just hits this heart right here," he said.
Garry also received over 350 cards in the mail, and he says he's still getting them.
He's gotten cards and merch from fire departments in Spalding all the way to Bibb County.
Garry is now going through the Baldwin County Fire Explorers, where he's learning real skills that firefighters learn in order to become a volunteer one day.
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