The mother of 9-year-old Klynn Skales struggled with drug addiction, and the family was unstable. A hungry girl stole food from a grocery store to feed herself and her younger brothers. Officer Jeffrey Colvin once patrolled the streets and the girl waved at him.
After learning about the Skales family’s life, Jeffrey promised to come and check on them every day. The policeman kept his word. “He was the best friend. I remember that sometimes he would bring candy, which we loved,” Klynn said.
One day Jeffrey heard Skales’ address being relayed over the police radio. He went to the address and found the girl ill. The policeman quickly took her to the hospital. “In all the difficult situations, I imagined him by my side. I remembered him saying that he would always be there for us in times of need and would protect us. Those words came at the most difficult moments in my life,” Klynn said.
When the Skales family moved to another state, the connection was lost. Growing up, Klynn decided to find a policeman. But she didn’t know his name. The girl went to the Kansas City Police Department for help, and they helped her find him. Jeffrey remembered the girl. “I thought about how her fate turned out… Most of the time, when we work, we don’t think about the fact that we helped someone,” Jeffrey said. He was glad that Klynn was doing well now, and that she had become a police officer.
In Jeffrey’s honor, the girl made a plaque that reads, “A promise made, a promise kept, follow in the footsteps of a True Hero!”
Skales plans to create a nonprofit organization to help abused and neglected children.
