When Georgia State Trooper Nathan Bradley knocked on the door of a Newborn home, he had prepared himself to give a speech apologizing for having to deliver the news that Donald and Crystal Howard passed away in a terrible car crash.
However, he had to change his plans completely when four children dressed in costumes answered the door.
“I immediately fell ill,” Bradley wrote on the children’s GoFundMe page.
It was Halloween night and Bradley learned that the only adult that was left in their lives was their grandmother who lived seven hours away in Flordia. She wouldn’t arrive until the next morning.
So, Bradley decided he would withhold the full truth from those costumed children, a 13-year-old Freddy Krueger, a 10-year-old Dracula’s daughter, an 8-year-old wizard, and a 6-year-old firefighting ninja turtle, until she arrived.
“My parents went to the store to get more face paint,” the 13-year-old told the police officers at his door. “They told us not to open the door for anybody, but they should be back soon.”
Bradley, a 24-year-old who had never had to be responsible for children before, suggested to the children that they go get something to eat and hang out until their grandmother arrived.
He drove the kids to each of the places they wanted to eat, to McDonald’s then to several miles in the opposite direction to Burger King.
On the ride back to the station the kids talked about their favorite show “Law and Order” and expressed their intelligence which showed that they were wise beyond their years.
After a tour of the station, Bradley’s Corporal showed up with his family, candy, popcorn and some Disney movies. When the kids were told that they were going to get to spend the night at the barrack’s, they were excited.
Bradley had succeeded in preserving the children’s Halloween. They would now associate Nov. 1 with a terrible day rather than Oct. 31.
Though the younger children seemed to be unaware of what was going on, the eldest, Justin, began to catch on.
“I had thought, something bad must have happened,” Justin said, according to the Washington Post. “If nothing bad happened then all of these troopers wouldn’t be here.”
When their grandmother arrived, she broke the bad news. But Bradley’s effort to help the family didn’t end there. He went to check up on the kids the next day and even started a GoFundMe for the family, which has almost reached his goal.
If you’d like to contribute to help these children, you can do so here.
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