When police officer Brian Zach responded to a call to check on a suspicious property, he wasn’t prepared for how drastically his life would change. But on entering the scene, he encountered a sight that turned his stomach: he’d found a two-year-old girl suffering from serious neglect. Soon after, Officer Zach made a critical decision that carried lifelong consequences for both himself and the child staring back at him.
Duty calls
Officer Zach was working a night shift for the police department in Kingman, Arizona, when the call came in. His orders at first were just to check on the status of the house.
But when he arrived on the scene, the policeman quickly realized the stakes of the situation.
The scene of the crime
After arriving at the house, Officer Zach found a two-year-old girl named Kaila. The policeman's bodycam captured how the toddler had bruises on her face and a shocking black eye.
Criminal charges were later filed against the girl's mother and the mother's boyfriend. But Officer Zach knew he had to take drastic action right there and then.
Taking action
First things first, the police officer removed the young girl from the home. He took her back to the police station, where the pair waited for people from the Department of Child Safety (DCS) to arrive.
Over the next five hours, though, Officer Zach and Kaila formed an incredible bond.
Spending quality time together
The duo spent the next few hours eating snacks, coloring, and watching the Disney movie Wreck-It Ralph. It seemed that, despite her troubled life, the little girl was still strong in spirit.
But Officer Zach couldn't stop thinking about what would happen to her next.
A bond was formed
Because even though they'd just met, Officer Zach and Kaila clearly had something special. “She held my hand, and she was just this cute little thing," Zach recalled later to Good Morning America.
But soon enough, the DCS arrived at the station.
The DCS's response
DCS officers then transported Kaila to the hospital so that her wounds could be attended to.
While she was confirmed to be healthy, there was one question that remained — where would Kaila go now that the only home that she had ever known was deemed unsafe?
A displaced minor
Unfortunately, the child protective services were unable to locate any family members who could shelter Kalia. Yet after spending all that time with Kaila, Officer Zach couldn't get her out of his mind.
He thought something just had to be done to help this vulnerable child.
A lasting impression
After he returned home, Officer Zach told his wife, Cierra, about the adorable little girl that he'd encountered. The father of two even told Cierra that he wished that Kaila could have stayed with his family.
But there was nothing else he could do... was there?
A fateful phone call
The next morning, Officer Zach phoned the DCS worker to check on Kaila. And that's when his life changed forever.
The agent on the line wanted to know if the Zachs could act as a placement family for Kaila until a suitable alternative arrangement could be made. But while the policeman's first instinct was to take Kaila in, he had his own family to think about first.
The difficult decision
There were his wife's feelings to consider — and also those of his two biological children. How would 17-year-old daughter Reina and 15-year-old son Trevin react?
It was a big decision, so everybody had to be on board from the get-go.
The family conference
Fortunately, the family was happy to help. Yet even with the blessing of all of the Zachs, the policeman couldn't just go and pick up the little girl.
One major hurdle to overcome was whether Officer Zach's involvement would in any way affect the criminal case against Kaila's caregivers. So for the time being, all they could do was wait.
Kaila's arrival
There were only five days between Officer Zach’s first encounter with Kaila and the DCS arriving at his home with the neglected girl. But any fears the policeman might have had about whether Kaila would be comfortable with his family were quickly dispelled.
As soon as he greeted her at the car, the girl was smiling at him.
Welcome home
The little girl even reached out for Officer Zach. She then held onto the policeman's hand as he led her inside.
Yet while the Zach family was thrilled to welcome Kaila into their home, they knew that her adjustment wouldn't be easy — even if it was just short-term.
A challenging adjustment
“We were obviously attached. It was going to devastate us if she went back,” Officer Zach later told People.
“We only bought a certain amount of clothes, and just kind of played each week as we could.” But that wasn't the only challenge.
A slow start
The toddler had a very limited vocabulary. In fact, she only knew three words and — according to the policeman — otherwise "grunted like a caveman."
But on her second day with the family, Kaila would say another word that would leave the Zachs in utter shock.
Taken by surprise
In the most unexpected of twists, Kaila began calling Cierra "mom" and "mommy." It took a little longer for Officer Zach to be upgraded to "dad" status, though.
"I was 'guy' for a week or two and then when she started preschool she learned who dad was," he told Good Morning America. Still, the end of their story wasn't set in stone.
Overcoming trauma
While Kaila fit in with the Zachs almost immediately, she was still dealing with challenges that no small child should have to face. And there was always the possibility that she would one day have to leave the Zachs for a more permanent home.
But even with her difficulties, the Zach family knew they wanted Kaila to stick around.
In it for the long haul
And Kaila quickly became an integral member of the family. The group even went on exciting excursions such as a trip to Disneyland and a family vacation to Hawaii.
So, with their love for Kaila growing each day, the Zachs realized that fostering Kaila temporarily was no longer an option.
A part of the family
Thirty months after Kaila had first set foot in the Zachs' home, she was officially adopted by Officer Zach and Cierra. "The best thing to come out of 2020 is the fact that we gained an official member of our family," Officer Zach emotionally declared to Good Morning America.
"That was my Christmas present," he continued.
A job with curveballs
"I love him‚ I love him so much," Kaila answered when asked about her feelings for Officer Zach. The policeman garnered a lot of attention for his touching act — and was even praised as a hero.
But his act of kindness is mirrored in the actions of the police officer who pulled over one admittedly terrified mother and her children.
Pulled over and panicked
The sight of police lights in Ebony Rhodes' rearview mirror made her panic. The single mother feared her life was about to be ruined.
On approaching her window and seeing her distress, the officer knew something was up. Ebony quickly confessed to driving without a license, but that proved insignificant compared to what was in her trunk.
In the trunk
When the officer opened Ebony's trunk, he saw the reason for her panic. After finishing a grueling shift at a discount store, she didn't have time to rest.
The single mom and her four kids jumped in the family Buick, as they had important work to do. She always told her children that their struggles were no excuse for not working hard.
Study session
Ranging in age from 12 to 17, Ebony's kids all had school finals coming up. She wanted nothing but the best for them, so she insisted that they all go to the library to study.
However, they never got there.
Flashing lights
During the drive over, Ebony's heart dropped as a set of flashing police lights appeared in her mirror.
She pulled her car over, though she knew she was about to be in serious trouble.
Falling apart
Tears began flowing down Ebony's face before the officer had a chance to approach her window.
When he asked her what was the matter, she admitted that she was driving with an expired license.
Serious consequences
That was a serious offense, and the police officer didn't give any leniency. He arrested Ebony and sent her car to the scrapyard.
Little did he know, he was overlooking a key part of the story.
Car contents
That essential truth didn't come to light until days later, when authorities inspected the vehicle prior to impounding.
There was nothing special about the car itself, but what was inside of it immediately caught their interest.
Home supplies
The trunk and backseat of the car were filled with all kinds of supplies. There was bedding, games, books, and various types of food.
That's when the full picture came into view.
Homeless family
After asking around, the police confirmed the sad truth: Ebony and her four kids were living in that car.
The Rhodes family was having a hard enough time, but now their mom was in custody and their shelter was about to be crushed into oblivion.
Anger and disgust
Word of the incident got around, and the Atlanta police felt terrible about it. The single parents on the force were outraged, as a matter of fact.
Fortunately, one man decided to make things right.
Jeff Glazier
Deputy Chief Jeff Glazier felt particularly torn up about Ebony's dilemma. Outside of official work hours, he did some reconnaissance into her background.
Maybe he could help.
Medical woes
The driving factor behind the Rhodes' financial woes, it turned out, were a series of medical issues.
Ebony's daughter Danniaja suffered from Lupus, while Ebony herself got frequently sick to the point where she couldn't work.
Staying together
These mounting costs forced the family out of their home. Ebony looked into homeless shelters but couldn't find any able to accommodate all five of them.
She figured keeping them all together in the car was better than splitting up.
Reaching out
Hearing this moved Jeff in an incredible way. It was clear that Ebony wasn't at all a criminal, just a good person dealing with a whole lot of bad luck.
The Deputy Chief never met her in his life, but he decided to reach out to her.
Calling in favors
Over his years on the force, Jeff made a number of connections with various city officials.
He told Ebony that he might be able to make a few phone calls and find a shelter that had space for all of them.
Natural suspicion
Ebony, while intrigued, couldn't help but be a little bit suspicious. After nearly ruining her life, why would the police suddenly be on her side?
Well, Jeff gave an interesting answer.
"We are more alike"
The Deputy Chief quoted the famed author Maya Angelou. "We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike," he said.
Though he and Ebony were in two very different positions, Jeff knew they shared the same values.
Clean beds
Sadly, Ebony had been turned away from more shelters than she could count. But with Jeff on her side, the Rhodes found five beds at a nearby shelter within days.
That was a huge short-term fix, but the Good Samaritan wasn't done yet.
Safety net
Jeff also promoted a GoFundMe page for the family, just to provide a "safety net" while they got back on their feet.
They raised tens of thousands of dollars, which resulted in a huge turnaround.
Apartment of their own
Ebony's hard work, combined with thoughtful contributions, allowed the family to rent an apartment.
Now her kids could focus on school again, instead of whether or not it was safe to sleep in a strip mall parking lot.
Act of kindness
Strangely enough, Ebony realized that getting pulled over was a sort of blessing in disguise. She saw one act of kindness could turn around an entire life.
And for a single mother, that one act of kindness can mean everything.