Child abuse and neglect are problems that’s plagued humankind since the dawn of time.
Nonetheless, these cases are still unsettling every time we learn of them. Very often, children suffer in silence under the oppressive roof of their abusers while good people sit by and do nothing.
Their silence also allows their abusers to hide their crimes, making it harder to help them. Even when children are in danger of violence and sexual abuse, they are often too afraid to say anything, feeling that speaking out will only result in worse abuse.
Officer Jody Thompson is a well-seasoned Law Enforcement Officer. He’s grown accustomed to dealing with problems such as child abuse. He also lives with his wife and three kids in Oklahoma.
Officer Thompson has witnessed many terrible things throughout his career, but one case would change his life forever.
One day, in 2015, the officer received an urgent call about a child being abused. Responding quickly, Thompson soon found himself entering the home.
Upon entering, Jody encounters something that will haunt his memories for the rest of his life.
The ex-soldier immediately realized just how bad the situation was.
Thompson had been on the force for sixteen years; often he knew that urgent calls were not always as bad as they first appeared to be. But something in the officer’s gut told him this was an exception.
Thompson could also sense the desperation in the caller’s plea as they reported that they believed they were hearing a child being murdered by his parents.
Officer Thompson has been involved with a government program to prevent child abuse and was on patrol when the call came in. In seconds he turned around and sped toward the house.
However, even his years of experience could not prepare him for what he found in that house.
After breaking down the door, Officer Thompson discovered a terrified and confused 8-year-old little boy.
The child’s wrists and ankles had been tied with rope, and he was near death due to starvation.
The young boy was also covered in horrific bruises, and his parents had gone so far as to force the child into a trashcan filled with freezing ice water.
At first sight, Officer Thompson knew this child had suffered unspeakable torture. The child was trembling so hard that he couldn’t speak.
Overcome by his protective instinct, officer Thompson immediately leaped into action, knowing that there was no way he could leave this child in that environment.
Despite being on the verge of death, racked with shivers, and totally helpless, the officer could see something in the child that made him think of his own children.
The child, John, was rushed to a nearby emergency room, while Officer Thompson stayed with him.
“I promised him ‘Nobody’s gonna hurt you anymore, you’re with me,’” the officer said.
“And he kept saying, ‘They’re gonna kill me. They’re gonna kill me. They’re gonna kill me.’”
Over time the two became close, as John came to see Officer Thompson as his savior, and the officer kept a close watch on the child as he recovered.
Upon examination, Johns spine and ribs were clearly visible. The child also had a wan and shrunken face along with shoulder blades. Incredibly after stepping on a scale, John weighed in at only sixty pounds.
During court hearings, according to the professionals who examined John, they spoke of their inability to find even one space on the child’s body that wasn’t bruised.
But at last, John started healing. But something even more miraculous happened for the young boy.
After he was discharged Officer Thompson and his wife offered to adopt John as their own.
Four years later, life for John is much different.
While the young man still has a long way to go before his mind and spirit can heal from this tragic past, he’s getting a daily dose of love and care from his new family.
After learning that John’s mother also had a baby girl while in jail, they moved immediately to adopt her as well. The little girl was only a day old when they signed the paperwork.
When asked when he knew that John would become a part of his family, Officer Thompson Struggling with emotion, Officer Thompson replied: “When I saw him … when I saw him in that house, I knew.”
“He’s the reason I’m alive now,” John shared.
Wishing to protect John from publicity, the officer managed to keep both adoptions and the circumstances behind them under wraps for many years.
However, when the story became official news, Officer Thompson received an award for his actions.
“We didn’t want the story out there. We didn’t put the story out there. But now that it’s out there and we’ve embraced it, we want the world to know that it’s not all doom and gloom. Especially in law enforcement, we’ve got such a black eye right now for whatever reason, but we’re not all out there just to put handcuffs on people. We really do care about the communities that we live in, and this just shows it,” Jody said.
Officer Thompson and John’s story go to prove that humanity will always rise to defeat inhumanity. May God bless young John and his guardian angel and dad, Officer Thompson.