Manny went to the police station, thinking they would help him with his request. In the end, only one officer named Mark Deakin paid him some attention. When the officer found out what the boy’s request was, he made sure to bring in all the help he could to fulfill it.
“I told you guys Santa was real!” Manny beamed as he spoke to his family at home. His mom, Marissa, smiled at her son and nodded.
“Yes, Santa is real. The cops found him!” she said, smiling at Officer Deakin, giving him a grateful look from behind her happy son.
A couple of days prior, Manny went running to their town’s local police station where he was quickly shut down. “Can somebody please help me?” he asked around, his voice raised.
“Hey, you can’t be screaming in here. Everybody’s busy,” a cop said, placing a hand on Manny’s shoulder. However, the kid was determined to find some help and continued to ask for assistance.
To fend off the kid, the officer finally decided to ask him what was wrong. When Manny said his request, the officer laughed and shook his head. “Alright, that’s enough now. Give me your mom’s phone number so I can have you picked up,” he said.
Disappointed, Manny walked away. Officer Mark Deakin saw the scene and decided to run after the little boy. “Hey, you can’t be out there alone. Where’s your mom?” he asked.
“She’s at home. I walked here because I needed help with someone urgent, but none of you want to listen to me!” he said, still sad.
Officer Deakin felt bad for the boy, especially having braved the cold just to get to the station. He decided to ask the kid what he needed.
“Well, I need you to help me find Santa and give him this letter. It’s really really urgent. It’s a matter of life or death!” he said, handing Officer Deakin an envelope that was addressed to Santa and his elves at the North Pole.
While Officer Deakin almost laughed, he decided to play along as the kid was dead serious. “Alright, kid. I’ll make sure Santa gets this. Now, you’re going to ride in my patrol because the snow’s getting crazy out there. Come on,” he said, leading him to the basement.
When they got home, Manny’s mom thanked Officer Deakin profusely. They were worried sick, as he snuck out without anybody noticing. When he left, the officer almost forgot about the letter until he found it in his pocket when he got home.
He decided to open it, and he was surprised to see what was written inside.
Hello, Santa, it read.
My name is Manny. I’m eight years old. This year, I am not asking for any present. This year, I ask for a hearing aid for my sister Annabel. See, my dad lost his job and my mom has no work. They told me they could not afford the hearing aid. Please help us, Santa. I want to play with my sister. Here are all the details you need to know to send the hearing aid.
At this point, Officer Deakin was in tears. He decided to tape the letter to his fridge and do something about it.
The next day, he entered the office and decided to speak to his team. He told them the story about Manny running to their station, and how his Christmas wish was not for himself, but for his sister.
Touched, his team members did not hesitate to donate some money. They pitched in until they reached the needed amount for the hearing aid.
When other departments heard about the little fundraising gig they had going on, they decided to do something for Manny as well by giving him some toys. At that point, they insisted to join the fun by all going to Manny’s house later that day.
After their shifts ended, Officer Deakin asked one of his co-workers to dress up as Santa Claus. When he was ready, he rode with him in his patrol car on the way to Manny’s house.
A couple of their team members followed, and there were at least five police cars parked outside the house. “Ho ho ho!” the officer said, knocking on the door.
A surprised Manny opened, jumping up and down. “MOM, DAD, ANNABEL, SANTA’S HERE WITH THE COPS!” he excitedly exclaimed. Manny’s parents were in awe. “The cops found Santa!” he continued to scream.
“We did find Santa,” Officer Deakin replied. “And he’s got a little surprise for Annabel!”
Santa then proceeded to hand Annabel a box, and she hurriedly opened it. When her parents saw what it was, they couldn’t help but cry.
While the officers and Santa Claus played with Manny and Sandra inside the house, Officer Deakin spoke to their parents.
“I don’t know what to say, Officer Deakin. This is too kind of you, thank you,” Manny’s father, Robert, said.
“We had to sit them down and tell them Santa isn’t real because we’re really struggling financially. I’m so relieved that somehow, they can still believe in the magic of Christmas, and it’s all thanks to you,” Manny’s mom, Marissa, chimed in.
Officer Deakin was close to being in tears again. While this was not something he had to do, he was glad he was able to do it for a family that was struggling to get by.
