Thanks to the kindness of the Mahoning Valley Fire Company, an East Penn Township boy had a memorable birthday.

Township Supervisor Deb McGowan said at last week’s meeting that Mahoning Valley Fire Chief Mark Ebbert, along with the fire company, deserved commendation.

“I got goose bumps,” McGowan said.

Afterward, supervisors thanked Ebbert, who was in attendance, for the gesture.

Kelly Eidem, the mother of 5-year-old Sean Eidem, reached out several months in advance of her son’s birthday to local fire companies to see if they would host a birthday party for Sean.

According to Carole Leslie, Sean’s grandmother, of the fire companies who were contacted, only Mahoning Valley gave its blessing.

“She (Kelly) got in touch with a couple fire companies that wouldn’t be too far away to have a birthday party (for Sean); everybody turned her down,” Leslie said. “Most of it was ‘we don’t do that.’”

As a result, Leslie said she called Bob Miller, treasurer of the Mahoning Valley Ambulance, and asked if they could use the building for Sean’s birthday party.

“Deb (McGowan) had seen Kelly’s postings for fire companies, and she called and said she has something to tell Kelly and me,” Leslie said. “We called her back, and she said that the Mahoning Fire Company is having their drill or exercise, and on the way back, they’re going to stop at the ambulance building with one or two of their trucks for Sean for his surprise birthday party.”

“These kids loved it,” Leslie said. “He (Sean) sat in the trucks, he blew the horn, the whistles.”

Leslie said her family is grateful to both the ambulance and fire company for their kindness.

“I thought that was wonderful of them; I just thought it was very nice of them to do that,” Leslie said. “They were wonderful with the kids, they were awesome; I think the parents that were there had as good a time as the kids.”

Leslie also thanked McGowan as well.

“We were so thankful to Deb; she didn’t have to do that,” Leslie said. “She (McGowan) just went out of her way to make a little guy’s birthday memorable to him.”