Chiles helps ill teen get fireworks wish
By PETER WALLSTEN
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 1, 1998
 ALLAHASSEE -- Desperately fighting three inoperable brain tumors,
14-year-old Michael Roedlhas one wish: to celebrate July Fourth
with fireworks over his uncle's lake.
A statewide ban on private fireworks put a stop to that.
But now the man who imposed the ban, Gov. Lawton Chiles, hopes
to make Michael's wish come true.
On Tuesday, Chiles' office moved to help Michael's family by giving
the Putnam County Commission the go-ahead to permit the fireworks
display over the lake.
"I love fireworks," said Michael, severely weakened by the tumors.
His mother, Michele Roedl, said her son would consider it the
"ultimate excitement. . . . He would clap and cheer for every,
single one."
The ban, being fought by the state's fireworks merchants, was
announced Friday because of dry conditions and rampant wildfires.
Under the governor's executive order, any display permitted by
local government is allowed, and the commission has called an
emergency meeting for Friday morning.
Michael, who lives with his parents outside Cincinnati, came to
Florida on Saturday thanks to money raised by his junior high
school friends and a local Elks lodge.
His uncle, Rick Shock, lives on Lake Winnott, a mile-long lake
near Gainesville, and sought help from the county commission.
"Hopefully we can make it happen," said Charles "Skeet" Alford,
a county commissioner who has been working with Shock. "I was
pretty awestruck when (Shock) told me what his problem was. I
said, "I can't believe this.' "
The county permit requires Shock to find a professional pyrotechnic
company to launch the fireworks, and the county's volunteer fire
department must have a truck on the property. Late Tuesday, Shock
was still looking for a pyrotechnic company and arranging for
the firetruck.
"The state was very nice," Shock said. "We understand the seriousness
of (the fireworks ban)."
Chiles' spokeswoman April Herrle said that because the display
will be over water, the governor is more comfortable with it.
Alford said he expects the county commission to allow the display.
Michael has been struggling with the tumors since he was 6. The
condition has caused developmental problems, but he and his doctors
had successfully fought against the cancer until May.
Then, the doctors diagnosed the cancer's return and identified
the three tumors. Michael is using an experimental chemotherapy
drug that could stabilize the cancer, but his doctors believe
he may have no more than six months to live.
"He was saying, "Am I going to die?' " said his mother. "We said,
"Michael, we have time and we're going to work on getting over
this.' "
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