When This Girl Stopped Waving at a Cop, He Knew Something Was Wrong

Being a police officer is not an easy job, but it is definitely a rewarding one. For Officer Jeff Colvin, in the state of Missouri, he would often find himself patrolling in a certain neighborhood. He got to know the residents quite well, and one little girl in particular would always wave enthusiastically as he drove by in his patrol car. This little girl, was Klynn Scales, and she greatly admired Officer Colvin. She saw him as a role model, as he was always out keeping the streets safe and free of crime. Officer Colvin looked forward to his wave from Klynn each day, until one day she did not.

Klynn Scales

Growing up, every child should have parents that love them, and foster an environment that promotes learning. Klynn Scales did not have this. At the age of 9, her mother already had certain expectations for her.

Klynn had a home life that nobody at her school knew about, and Officer Colvin would never have guessed that this happy go lucky child, actually had a very tough home life. That did not stop her from smiling every day though.

The New Normal

The area of Kansas City that Klynn lived in, and Officer Colvin patrolled was not a good neighborhood. There was a high crime rate, and it was an area known for violence. Klynn’s family was not well off either, which meant that her mother and father were involved in the criminal underworld in the area.

By default, Klynn herself would sometimes become involved if her parents needed her to help with some of their activities. Affording food, paying for household bills, and other general things were very hard for this family, and they would often go without. Life was not easy for Klynn.

Shoplifting

Since Klynn’s family rarely had money for food, she began to devise ways to get some. She had two younger brothers that needed to be fed, along with herself. One of the only ways she could get enough food to feed the three of them, was to shoplift. Her parents didn’t care what she did, as long as she did not get caught.

They did not want to bring any extra police scrutiny on themselves, and have their other criminal activities investigated. So, at age 9 Klynn began to hit various stores to steal one or two things at a time to feed her brothers, and herself.

Playing House

Many children pretend to play house at Klynn’s age. They have their dolls and toys, the child pretends to be a mother, and feed them all sorts of fake food. For Klynn though, playing house was not a game. Her mother actually expected her to raise her brothers, when she was still a child.

This meant that she would spend all of her time before and after school care for the boys. How could she know how to raise her brothers, when she herself was just a child? Her mother did not care though, as the only one with a full-time job, someone had to look after the family, and that was Klynn.

Giving Everything

As she was only 9 years old, it was impossible for Klynn to know what a nutritious balanced diet looked like. Even if she did, it would have been impossible for her to provide one for her brothers and herself, as they had no money. Overtime, Klynn realized that her brothers needed more food then what she could provide.

To deal with this, she began to forgo her meals, and let her brothers have her share. She began to lose weight and almost appeared to stop growing altogether. Her mother did not notice, but other people in the community began to notice her gaunt appearance.

Taking Notice

With Klynn becoming increasingly thinner, and her brothers still not getting enough food, people in the neighborhood considered reporting them to child services. It was obvious that the mother was not looking after her children, and they were concerned about their health.

No child should have to take on the role of a parent at such a young age. They should be in school learning and preparing for their future. It was time for someone to intervene.

Police Attention

With Klynn regularly stealing to make ends meet, all of the police officers in the area got to know her. When she was caught, one of them would be called to the store, and they would have to explain to the 9-year-old why she could not do this. However, as she was so young, it was not as if they could arrest her.

All the could do was feel sorry for the little girl and her circumstances. They knew she had an absent mother and was just trying to stay alive.

A New Friend

Officer Colvin would always make a point of waving at Klynn, and she began to look forward to this interaction each day. He patrolled according to a time schedule, so Klynn was easily able to gauge when he would come by.

As she watched the clock, and it would get close to when he would come by, she would run out to the front of the house. From there, she would wave at him as he went by.

Smile All Around

Office Colvin was not immune to sweet little Klynn. He knew this little girl needed some kindness in her life, which is why he always returned her wave and gave her a big grin.

There was not much he could do for Klynn besides being kind to her in an unkind world. He hoped that she would make it out of this neighborhood one day, and start a life of her own, away from all of the crime she was growing up around.

A Bond Forms

As time passed, and Klynn and Officer Colvin continued waving at each other, a bond began to form. He knew to always look for her, as she would be ready to wave-like clockwork.

Klynn was like a ray of sunshine in this dark world. Each time Officer Colvin saw something terrible happen, he knew that a smile from this little girl would make him feel better. He was keeping her neighborhood safe, and thus Klynn safe.

Her Brothers Start Waving

Eventually, Klynn’s brothers noticed that she would always wave at this friendly cop, and they began to join her. The three of them would stand outside their house, waving and smiling at him as he went by.

Colvin could see that no parent was around, and they were obviously alone. He decided to become a more active part of their life, as they needed some parental guidance. There was only so much Klynn could do.

Stopping By

Instead of driving by, Office Colvin decided to pull over one day and talk to the kids. They all introduced themselves formally, and then Colvin began to ask about school. He wanted to know what each one had learned that day, and how they were all performing. Klynn and her brothers all clamored to tell him about their days.

No adult had ever asked them questions like this before, and they were all excited to share their stories with him.

A Role Model

Klynn began to worry less and less about her circumstances. Officer Colvin was there when she needed him, and if something bad happened in the neighborhood he would be there to deal with it.

All Klynn needed to worry about was feeding her family. Colvin would give them all a piece of candy once in awhile, which was a real treat. Finally, Klynn felt like her life was becoming a little bit easier, and someone cared about her.

Missing

One day, during his regular rounds of the neighborhood, Colvin went to see Klynn and her brothers. As soon as he pulled up though, he noticed something was amiss. There was nobody standing on Klynn’s lawn waving, and she did not come running out of the house. Colvin knew that something was wrong immediately.

He decided in an instant to get out of his car and find out where she had gone, and why.

Going Inside

Colvin approached the door to Klynn’s family home and gave a cursory knock. When no one answered, he decided to try the handle and go inside. The scene that greeted him was very upsetting. Klynn was on the floor and appeared too weak to move.

She could not get up and had a greenish pallor to her skin. Officer Colvin immediately scooped up her fragile body, and rushed her to the hospital, hoping whatever was wrong could be fixed.

A Life Saver

Klynn’s mother was nowhere to be seen, which meant that Officer Colvin was now in charge of her at the hospital. He was seated in the waiting room, and during this nerve wracking time all he could do was hope that this sweet little girl would be okay.

After what felt like a lifetime, a doctor emerged to explain the situation, and the diagnosis to him. Colvin was shocked by what he was told. He had had no idea.

No Food

The reason Klynn had been unable to move and was having heart palpitations was that her body could no longer sustain itself. All of the months where she had been giving her food to her brothers had taken its toll on her young body.

She was wasting away due to severe malnutrition. In order to become healthy again, she would need access to enough food to help her grow, and a diverse diet to improve her nutrition status.

Wards Of The State

After the ordeal at the hospital, Officer Colvin reported the family to the state authorities and had them removed from their mother. They were then sent to Texas, where a nice family welcomed them into their home.

There was just one thing that was hard for Klynn. Officer Colvin had never told her his name. That meant she had no way to find this kind police officer who had saved her life and helped her find a new one.

20 Years Later

Twenty years went by, and Klynn still thought about the officer that had saved her life. She knew that she needed to meet him, and thank him in person. The best way to reach him seemed to be through social media.

She composed a letter and shared her story online, hoping that it would go viral and reach the cop in question. As soon as Officer Colvin saw the story, he knew it was for him, and now he could contact Klynn.

A Reunion

Klynn and Colvin met for the first time twenty years later, and it was like no time had passed. The two looked into each other’s eyes, and began to reminisce about all the times they had spoken in her neighborhood.

She thanked him for everything he had done for her family at the time, and then shared with him how her new family is. He was thrilled to hear about it, and she informed him that he had always been her hero.

A New Career Path

As Klynn was shown around Officer Colvin’s office, she realized that she might have found her professional calling. A cop had saved her life, and she wanted to save lives. Seeing Klynn also made Colvin begin to appreciate his job.

He was still out hitting the streets, and fighting crime, but seeing how he made a difference in someone’s life was just the boost he needed. Once more Klynn and Colvin were making each other happy.

Becoming A Cop

After re-meeting her hero, Klynn decided to make a pretty drastic decision. She would become a cop just like Colvin, and work to keep children out of harm’s way, just like he did for her.

Colvin was very proud that she had made this career choice. He knew that she was the perfect person for this role, as she truly cares about people. He hoped that if she ever needed some guidance on the force, she would come to him.

Happily Ever After

Now, Klynn is a cop just like Colvin. She made it through the police academy as an exemplary student. Everyone knows that she has a true passion for police work, and with a role model like Colvin she will be the best cop ever.

This story is one that spans decades and warms the heart because it shows just how important a smile or a small act of kindness is when it comes to children. More cops need to be like Colvin and Klynn!