A 911 dispatcher answered a call from six-year-old Sam, who was crying because his mother had “gone to heaven” and never came back. Not understanding death, the boy feared she was lost and asked for help finding her.
Instead of correcting him harshly, the dispatcher gently suggested Sam write letters and send them with red balloons so his mom could “find her way home.”
Sam began writing monthly letters, but when no reply came, he called again. Touched, the dispatcher contacted local officers and Sam’s family. Soon, police arrived with red balloons to encourage him.
From then on, Sam received loving replies—secretly written by his father—helping him cope until he was ready to understand the truth about his mother’s death.