A compassionate New Mexico police officer who adopted an infant borne from a homeless heroin addict is an unlikely but deserving guest at President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address.
Albuquerque Police Officer Ryan Holets has touched many lives with the story of how he came to become the father of baby Hope Holets, including First Lady Melania Trump, who invited the Holet family to attend the State of the Union address Tuesday night in Washington, D.C.
Holet wasn’t always a father- last fall, he was training a young officer on Albuquerque’s streets when he spotted a homeless couple shooting up with a needle.
Body camera on and closing in on the two suspects, he suddenly noticed that the woman -identified as Crystal Champ- was eight months’ pregnant.
“Why do you have to be doing that stuff?” Holets asked Champ. “It’s going to ruin your baby. You’re going to kill your baby.”
When Champ broke down and talked about her addiction to meth and heroin, it was then that Holets said he heard a voice in the back of his head that suggested persuade Champ to let him adopt the child, regardless of the many complications that could arise.
“I’ve gotten so tired of seeing so many situations where I want to help but can’t,” Holets told CNN. “And in that moment, I realized I had a chance to help and to heck with the risks.”
Showing Champ a Rockwell-esque photo of his wife and four children, he managed to convince her that her baby would be raised in a loving home.
“We feel God has called us to do that,” Rebecca Holets said of her husband’s initial action. “It’s been on our hearts for a while.”
By October 12, The Holets were the proud (adopted) parents of a little girl named Hope.
Since then, Champ and her boyfriend, Tom Key, have since sought treatment. They are currently at a rehabilitation facility in Florida.
For Officer Holets, his experiences in the ordeal have changed his outlook on a lot of things.
“It’s changed my perspective forever,” the officer said. “I can’t drive anywhere without noticing people that are homeless. I can’t help but notice people that are panhandling. Then I think about everything they’ve gone through.”
The First Family hope to use the Holets’ inspirational story to touch upon the opioid epidemic in America, and how a little compassion can go a long way.
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