When you drive past someone’s home, it’s difficult to imagine what must be inside. The outside may be neat and tidy and the inside messy, or the complete opposite. The inside of a home is a sacred space. It’s a place for living, for family, comfort, and making memories. At least, I hope that the insides of people’s homes are like that – filled with love and laughter. But unfortunately, that is not always the case.
When Officer Gaetano Acerra of the Sumter Police Department responded to a distress call from 13-year-old Cameron Simmons, he paid a visit to Cameron’s home. The boy shared that he wanted to run away from home. His mother was yelling at him for playing his older brother’s video games and he seemed very distressed. Officer Acerra went inside the home with Cameron, sensing that there was more to the story.
When the boy took Officer Acerra to his bedroom, the police officer was very surprised at what he found. He found practically nothing. Just an empty room with a trash bag full of clothes. Cameron’s mother had made a sudden a move from Texas to South Carolina to care for a sick family member, and she and the boys were struggling financially.
Right then and there, Officer Acerra made the decision to help this family and kept it a complete surprise. He gathered up items for Cameron’s room, like a comfy bed, a desk, television, and even a Wii game system. Cameron’s older brother also received a full bedroom and the boys got an air hockey table to play together. The family was incredibly grateful and young Cameron was shocked to tears. This act of kindness changed the lives of a deserving family, and perhaps most importantly, Cameron and Officer Acerra forged an important friendship.