GOOSE CREEK, S.C. – A simple tour of the Goose Creek Police Department not only changed the life of a special needs child but also the police officer who would ultimately become much more than just an acquaintance.
AJ, now 9 years old, was diagnosed with autism when he was just three. When his mother, Kanesha, married her husband, they decided to leave their small town for a somewhat larger city – Goose Creek.
“When we moved to Goose Creek, there was a big of a concern about how the local police deal with someone would that doesn’t speak,” Kanesha said. “As a black mother of a young black male there is this concern over the relationship between my son and meeting police officers, so I wanted to hopefully change that narrative into something more positive.”
Kanesha arranged a tour for her son of the Goose Creek Police Department where the pair met Captain Tom Hill.
“He really bonded with AJ right away. It was really, really great to see and to see a change in AJ where he went from being a little shy and worried about law enforcement and authority to now he said that they were his friends,” Kanesha said.
During the tour, Captain Hill showed AJ around the department as well as introduced him to other officers.
“Family is everything to me, so when Kanesha brought AJ into the police department, it really resonated with me that she wanted to introduce her autistic son to the police,” Captain Hill said. “We got him an ID card. I rolled his fingerprints. We gave him a little teddy bear and sent him along his way.”
However, the encounter didn’t stop there. AJ began writing letters to Captain Hill during the coronavirus pandemic. Before long, the two were pen pals.
“They were really cool little letters. He would ask what my favorite color was, what it was like to be on the SWAT team, what it’s like to be a captain,” Captain Hill said.
But it was one particular letter from AJ that Captain Hill received that would ultimately tug at the veteran law enforcement’s heartstrings – and bring a tear to his eye. That letter read as follows:
Dear Captain Hill,
How are you? Are you staying safe? 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 be there, and I want that to be you. Is that OK? Stay safe.
Love,
AJ
It was that letter that caught Captain Hill by surprise – but in a good way.
“This was huge for me. I was just glad I was in my office with the door closed when I read it. It really moved me. It meant a lot to know that I impacted some young man like that. It’s amazing,” Captain Hill explained.
AJ and Captain Hill’s touching bond recently caught the attention of The Kelly Clarkson Show. AJ, his mom and Captain Hill appeared on the show Wednesday, Feb. 3 to share their story.
On the show, Kanesha told show host, Kelly Clarkson, that she was glad that Captain Hill was able to look past her son’s disability and see him for who he really is.
“I really think it has changed the narrative of his future in such a positive way,” Kanesha told Clarkson.
“Thank you for being my godfather, my protector and my friend,” AJ told Captain Hill on the show.
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