The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Fire department comes through for young boy By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The Town of Oakville, and its Oakville Fire Department, came through for a very special three-year-old boy Sunday. Like many his age, Matthew Foster is a Mighty Machines enthusiast. Unlike many his age, he is battling leukemia. Despite his youthfulness, Matthew has been through a lot. But he saw one of his dreams come true as Ward 1 Town Councillor Ralph Robinson arranged to have an Oakville fire truck arrive at Hopedale Presbyterian Church following Sunday service. The truck arrived in the parking lot for a visit with Matthew and other children. "Matthew was in his glory. He loves fire trucks," said Bonnie Foster, Matthew's mom. "He wore the hat, got to sit in the driver's seat, he made some new friends. It was great. He had such a great time." Bonnie described her son a typical, happy three year old who enjoys playing with his siblings, running around outside and going to church where he is always happy to join his father, Hopedale Presbyterian Minister Sean Foster, in the spotlight. Matthew's health problems surfaced ear- 3 · Thursday, September 20, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER / @halton_photog IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT: Hopedale Presbyterian Church Pastor Sean Foster's son Matthew Foster has leukemia. Matthew and his twin sister Shannon, and older sister Erin, have been wanting to visit the Bronte fire station -- so the fire truck and firefighters came to the church after last Sunday's service to greet the children. Here, Matthew is thrilled to be in the driver's seat. lier this year when he began experiencing flu-like symptoms. His concerned parents took him to clinics, but the illness never seemed to go away. Finally, Sean and Bonnie took Matthew to their pediatrician who said the illness sounded like mononucleosis, but that she would do blood tests to find out for sure. The distraught doctor called back a short time later and advised Bonnie and Sean to take Matthew to McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton for further testing. It was there that specialists diagnosed Matthew with leukemia on April 20. "It was shocking," said Bonnie. "There's a point where you are almost in denial. It's like it's a bad dream or something, but we held it together pretty good because we know we have lots of family and support around us and we have heard lots of encouraging stories from other families who have gone through it." Bonnie and Sean were told Matthew would require 25 months of treatment beginning with a six-week stay at McMaster where Matthew received regular chemotherapy. The second stage of treatment has seen continued chemotherapy, but at a much lower dose. See Young page 22 PRIME RIB DINNER R E S E RV E Y OU R TAB L E NOW Certified Angus Prime Rib EVERY FRIDAY & SATURDAY FROM 4:00 P.M. Wherever the pain is, we can help! Foot Solutions has been exceptionally successful in helping our customers find relief from: · Heel Pain · Plantar Fasciitis · Flat Feet · High Arches · Diabetic Feet · Knee Pain · Hammer Toe · Metatarsalgia · And More! Customers are taken through a thorough foot and gait assessment at no charge. (Valid until April 28/2012) $ (Plus taxes and gratuities) 3995 per person Including a choice of Appetizer, Mini Dessert and Coffee Offered every Friday and Saturday at Stone House Restaurant. 3106 South Service Road Burlington (between Guelph Line & Walkers Line) You'll love the experience. 905-632-1316 www.stonehouserestaurant.ca Open Tuesday - Sunday, Closed Monday