You can do just about anything on the Internet these days, from buying a car to finding the love of your life.

Theresa Artigue of Lacombe discovered a hero in a 9-year-old girl.

“Someone sent me a link to a prayer site for this little boy who was sick,” said Artigue. “I’m not exactly sure how I did it, but when I went to close the window I accidentally clicked something, and Cheyenne’s page popped up.”

Fire District 3 firefighter Theresa Artigue'€™s laptop computer displays a picture of Cheyenne Broswell, a 9-year-old California girl who is afflicted with a rare brain stem tumor. The photo was taken during a visit Artigue made to visit the girl in March for her birthday, and Broswell will travel to Louisiana in September to meet all of the Fire District 3 members. (Staff Photo by Anne Lautzenheiser)

She had stumbled onto a Website for Cheyenne Broswell of Yucaipa, Calif., who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain stem tumor in December 2006. Only 200 cases are diagnosed each year, and the average survival rate is less than 12 months. The chance of survival beyond that is slim, only eight percent.

When Artigue discovered her it was December 2007, and she was compelled to send her a message of support. It turned out Broswell dreamed of becoming a firefighter, and the two struck up a friendship. She began praying for a miracle for the girl, and eventually all of the men and women at Fire District 3 befriended her, sending her e-mails and gifts.

One firefighter sent an old helmet he was no longer using.

“His number was 313, and it turned out Cheyenne’s birthday is March 13,” said Artigue. “She was so thrilled.”

When her birthday rolled around, the little girl invited Artigue to California for her birthday party. The woman had never left Louisiana before, but somehow knew she couldn’t miss the occasion, so she flew out and stayed for a week.

It was the most rewarding thing she’s ever done, she said.

“We went to Disneyland, played games, watched movies, and stayed at the Ronald McDonald House while she did chemotherapy,” said Artigue. “The chief made me take my gear out there, and she tried it on.”

When it came time to leave, Broswell insisted the two not say “goodbye,” but “I love you to the moon and back,” from a popular children’s book. It has since become their signature signoff for telephone calls and e-mails.

In July an Elks lodge near Broswell’s hometown chose her as the recipient of its monthly wish-granting project. While most children ask for a TV or a Sony PlayStation or a bike, she had something different in mind. Broswell asked for a plane ticket, so she could visit “her firefighters” in Louisiana.

“They don’t get requests like that, and they weren’t sure if they could really do it, so they asked her if she had a second choice,” said Artigue. “She told them she didn’t, but she understood if they couldn’t do it, and told them to grant the wish for someone else.”

The Elks mulled it over. They decided to grant Broswell’s wish, and on Sept. 5 the youngster will board a Southwest flight bound for New Orleans, and will spend a week with Artigue and the rest of Fire District 3.

The firefighters will pull out all the stops for the little girl, starting with a bash on Sept. 6 in which they will make her an honorary member of their crew. In addition, since Broswell has now lost all her hair due to recent chemotherapy, all 17 men and women of Fire District 3 will shave their heads in an act of solidarity.

Broswell, despite being weak from her treatments, is reportedly ecstatic to be making the trip.

“She tires easily, so she can’t do a whole lot, and we’ll have to pace it slowly for her,” said Artigue. “She said the three main things she wants to do are ride in a fire truck, see a bayou for the first time, and bake cupcakes for us.”

Artigue, a former cheerleading coach, joined the district in 2003. After her children were grown she went back to school to become an EMT, and passed her firefighter’s test at 43, becoming the first woman to join Fire District 3. Nothing she’s ever done has prepared her for what happened when she met Cheyenne.

“They gave her 12 months, and she’s already gone way beyond that,” she said. “She is one tough little girl, and she’s definitely my hero.”