A police dispatcher answered a heartbreaking call from a little boy named Sam, who was crying because his mother had “gone to heaven” and never came back. Six-year-old Sam believed she had simply gotten lost on the way home, so he called 911 for help.
The dispatcher, John Lewis, realized the boy didn’t yet understand death. Instead of hurting him with the truth, he gently suggested Sam write letters to his mother and send them to heaven using red balloons so she could find her way back.
Every month, Sam wrote heartfelt letters about how much he and his father missed her. When no replies came, the dispatcher encouraged him to keep writing and even organized police officers to visit Sam with red balloons to lift his spirits.
Soon after, Sam finally received letters back from his mother. In reality, his grieving father had written them, hoping to comfort his son until he was old enough to understand that his mother was never coming home.