Story and Photos by Bob Romantic
GCU News Bureau

Rebecca Williams got to go home Thursday from Phoenix Children’s Hospital — not that she was in a big hurry.

First she wanted to enjoy her front-row seat for an event with GCU film students and members of the Phoenix Fire Department who were at the hospital to share a documentary video titled “A Day in the Life of a Firefighter.”

“It was pretty neat,” said Williams, 15, who had been in the hospital for a week when water was found on her brain. “My favorite thing was spending time outside looking at the fire truck and seeing all the equipment they have. I’m glad those guys are always around if there’s a fire or somebody gets in an accident.”

About a dozen PCH patients and their families took part as firefighters showed them the ins and outs of a fire truck, let them squirt the fire hose and passed out coloring books before the GCU students shared their documentary. The firemen also made room visits to patients who could not come downstairs for the event.

The 13-minute documentary was a project that students Nick Fanelli, Bryce Bowen, Janna Strutowski, Mike Myers and Chiara Spence completed for a film class at GCU. The complete story on that project can be found here.

Part of the impetus behind the project was sharing it with children who otherwise might not have a chance to experience firsthand what firefighters go through on a daily basis.

“We try to bring in events like this at least once a week for the kids,” said Gigi Elliott, a child life specialist for Phoenix Children’s Hospital. “Some of these kids are isolated. Some are here for weeks, some are here for months at a time.

“Events like this give them an outlet to the outside world.”

Contact Bob Romantic at 639.7611 or bob.romantic@gcu.edu.