Despite the brewing racial tension plaguing the country, one story of love has managed to touch the hearts of many.
The extraordinary bond between 73-year-old Dorothy Shepard and Desoto, Texas Police Officer John Holder started with a well-being check six months ago. Shepard, who currently lives alone, is also still recovering from knee and back surgeries, so Holder stopped in for a routine check to make sure she was okay. However, she never envisioned that one visit would evolve into a beautiful, lasting friendship.
During a brief interview with WFAA-8 , Shepard and Holder recalled their first encounter. Needless to say, it was all very unexpected.
“It was so unexpected that I started rambling,” she said. “He listened; he was patient.”
“She just struck me as someone who really needed someone to care and help her out,” Holder added.
“He said, ‘I’ll give you my cell phone; if you ever need anything, call me,’” Shepard recalled. “And as it turns out, the next day I did need a ride!”
That same ride is now a weekly routine! However, Holder reportedly never mentioned his dealings with Shepard to any co-workers or superiors. But when the two were even spotted in Walmart prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, one local citizen took pictures of them and shared the photos on the Desoto Police Department’s Facebook page . The heartwarming photos quickly caught the attention of many users on the social media network. Now the photos have more than 700 likes collectively, reports the Mail Online .
Here are some of the comments.
“A great big thanks to Officer Holder from all of us. You are a great example of how compassionate our Law enforcement officers are,” said Michiko Haimoto.
“This is awesome! Many thanks to Officer Holder! Way to go!!!!! I hope your Police Dept. appreciates you!” wrote Donna Redding.
Holder also shared his sentiments of the warm comments and positive feedback for the photos.
“I thought it was pretty amazing, all the great comments on there, since law enforcement is often seen in a negative light,” Holder said.
[Image(s) via Facebook]
