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OREM — The Orem police received a message of gratitude on their Facebook page Tuesday after an officer did something small to make a big difference.
Cpl. Dan Holdaway was riding a motorcycle in Orem’s annual Summerfest parade on June 13. He was riding past the crowds giving high fives when he decided to stop in front of a family with young boys.
The mother of the boys — who is identified only as “a grateful autism mom” on the Orem Police Department’s Facebook page — said her son with severe autism loves parades but became overwhelmed and had an “emotional meltdown because he was probably scared, nervous or sad he couldn't reach the officer's hand,” the post reads.
The video shows Holdaway stopped in front of the family as he begins to twist a balloon animal for the boy. “He was so surprised, he didn’t really know what to do at first, but his meltdown stopped,” the mother wrote. “This is a huge deal for him to snap out of a full on meltdown like that.”
The video also shows that Holdaway’s first attempt at a balloon animal didn’t quite work out, but don’t worry, the mother wrote that the the officer’s attempt off camera was successful.
“This officer showed amazing character by doing what he did. I will never forget this precious moment and I know my boys won't either,” the mother wrote. “Now they get so excited whenever they see any cop cars or motorcycles! That's a positive impact if you ask me!”
