Officer Tommy Norman, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, is on his regular patrol route when he comes across an empty stroller on the sidewalk.
Approaching the stroller, he is shocked to see a pregnant woman sleeping on the ground with a toddler draped over her bulging belly.
The woman, 9-months pregnant, is named Jessica. The toddler is her daughter Kayla.
They are homelessโ and theyโre not the only ones.
Georgia Mjarton, Executive Director of Our House, tells THV11 that there are approximately 21,000 homeless children in the state of Arkansas every year. On this particular day, poor Jessica and Kayla had nowhere to sleep but the ground.
Tommy explains:
โKayla was laying asleep on Jessicaโs chest, and itโs something Iโve never seen before.โ
The man immediately feels compassion for this poor woman and child, renting them a hotel room.
He then shares their story on his Instagram account:
With the help of his followers, the post goes viral. Within days, gifts for the soon-to-be family of 3 begin pouring in.
People send food, clothes, baby items, and other various necessities for Jessica and Kayla. Tommy describes the experience to THV11, saying:
โItโs amazing how many people have stepped up to make a difference to change this familyโs life. Hopefully, this family now realizes how many people around the world love them.โ
According to an Instagram video posted by Tommy, Jessica had a baby boy. He was born at 7:35 p.m. on Fatherโs Day, weighing 6 pounds and 13 ounces. She named him Xavier.
Tommy tells TVH11 that he feels like he was meant to drive down that street that day. Since meeting Jessica and Kayla, he has genuinely become a part of the familyโXavier even knows him as โUncle Tommyโ!
As of this moment, Jessicaโs family is well taken care of, and Jessica is in the process of applying for jobs.
To stay up to date with Officer Tommy and Jessica, be sure to check out his Instagram account with over 1 million followers.
And, if youโre looking for ways that you can help the homeless in your community, Georgia Mjarton of Our House says being knowledgeable about local resources is the first step:
โWhat I say is know the resources [โฆ] Know the programs that are around and reach out. Five dollars is fine, but give them five dollars and a resource of a place to go that can really change their lifeโ not just for one night, but forever.โ
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