Captain Tom Hill of the Goose Creek Police Department in South Carolina comes from a long line of law enforcement officers.
He’s been on the force for 15 years now and has seen countless things – but what happened recently was a first!
About a year ago, Kanesha Leach-Petelo moved to the area with her husband and 8-year-old son. To get to know their neighborhood, Kanesha called the Goose Creek Police Department to arrange a special tour for AJ. The little boy is on the autism spectrum, and since his dad frequently travels for work, Kanesha thought it would be a good way for him to become familiar with local emergency services just in case he ever needs them.
Hill first interacted with AJ and Kanesha on their tour, during which AJ got to meet their K9 officer, have his fingerprints taken, and take an inside look at how the department runs. After they wrapped up, Hill was happy to receive a letter from AJ, so he wrote back.
“I would respond to his letters, we became pen pals,”Hill said. “The most recent letter though was really touching.â€
“Dear Captain Hill, how are you?” AJ wrote. “I wanted to ask you if you would be my godfather. A godfather is a dad who will be there if my dad can’t and I want that to be you.â€
Hill had to hold back tears as he read the heartwarming message, and then he accepted AJ’s offer at once!
“I think the family unit is an extremely important thing to me,”he explained. “I told him that I would be honored to be his godfather. I met up with him at a park, I provided him with a letter, and I have him a little gift.â€
The interaction reminded Hill that he can reach members of his community “one person at a time.” What a beautiful moment! We hope this is the start of a lifelong friendship!
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