Whenever we start to wonder if miracles are real, a story like this one changes everything.
It was a normal Wednesday afternoon when mom Araceli Nunez returned home from selling food and beverages along the roadside in Plantersville, Texas. While her back was turned, her 3-year-old son, Christopher Ramirez, followed a neighbor’s dog into the woods.
When they couldn’t find Christopher, the panicked family called for help, and within a few hours, 48 different agencies arrived to comb through the acreage around their home. Their entire community rallied to help find Christopher as many prayed for his safe return.
“We were just running on prayers, four-wheel drive, and overdrive, to be honest with you, because we had nothing else,” Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell said in a statement.
After days with no sign of the toddler, rescuers feared the worst, but Araceli never stopped hoping and praying for her son’s safe return. At long last, after four long days and nights, the sheriff received a phone call from a Good Samaritan named Tim Halfin.
Tim explained that he had just finished up a Bible study Friday night when he felt called to look for the child near his home. The next morning, he went out into the woods, and there was Christopher!
Aside from being dehydrated and very hungry, the toddler was completely unharmed. He was found outside the range where authorities were looking for him, so it’s pretty amazing that Tim discovered him at all.
“I don’t know what to make of it. All I know is he was found safe. When I picked him up, he was still talking. He wasn’t shaking, wasn’t nervous,” Tim said.
Christopher’s family immediately rushed to Tim’s house. Araceli couldn’t wait to wrap her little one up in her arms and hug him tightly!
“I am very happy to have my son in my arms, and I want to thank all of you for your dedication,” she said. “Thank you to all the volunteers. I don’t know how to repay you, but God will return the favor.”
“This is definitely a miracle,” she continued. “I know I’m a good mom, and this happened in a matter of two minutes. This can happen to anybody.”
Araceli isn’t the only one who thinks her son’s safe return is miraculous. Even law enforcement officials are convinced that the child had a “guardian angel” watching over him during his time in the woods.
“I think we have to praise our Lord because my faith kept me committed,” Grimes County Lieutenant James Ellis said. “We had faith that we were going to find this child.”
Constable Blake Jarvis added, “If you don’t believe in a miracle, or believe in God, this is the prime example that miracles do exist.”
Christopher spent two days recovering at Texas Children’s Hospital in The Woodlands and at the Medical Center in Houston before getting a police escort back home.
How incredible is this rescue? Perhaps it was the power of prayer that brought this toddler back home safe and sound, or maybe it was just incredibly good fortune. Either way, we’re so glad Christopher is safe!
Share this story to lift someone’s spirits today.
Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.