NJ Trooper Wasn’t Prepared to Meet the Man He Pulled Over
We all tend to get into a routine when it comes to the daily grind. It’s the one constant you can count on in many jobs.
But every now and then something out of the ordinary pulls you out of the mundane, puts a smile on your face, and has the potential to warm your heart
As a dutiful member of his squad and a conscientious individual, State Trooper Michael Patterson did his job with pride and efficiency.
When the state trooper pulled over a white BMW, there was no reason to believe this driver would be any different from the next, and there was no way he could have been prepared for the events that followed.
On The Job
Patterson’s job was highway patrol. In your average day a highway patrol officer can expect to pull over a few cars, and maybe issue a few infringements.
For the most part things go smoothly, and there is no reason to believe anything should escalate in the New Jersey area that Patterson patrols.
On The Job
Highway patrol in Patterson’s jurisdiction of the New Jersey area is pretty routine, with minimal to no stories to tell at the end of the day. After the events of that day, however, there would be much to share.
The Pull Over
Sitting safely in his spot on the Kingswood Township Highway, State Trooper Patterson surveyed the passing traffic.
There are general traffic violations that the public is familiar with, we have all experienced a speeding fine, or know someone with a broken tail light; but Patterson’s patrol eye caught an infringement of a different kind.
While on watch Patterson noticed a white BMW.
The Pull Over
Patterson’s trained eye caught that the windows of the vehicle were illegally tinted.
This infraction was cause for a ticket, and that was Patterson’s only intention when he pulled over the white BMW; issue the ticket, and move on.
An Old Pro
Patterson went about the usual procedure, taking the information of the driver and informing him of the situation.
Buying time, or maybe trying to get out of a ticket, the driver started talking with Patterson. He told Patterson that he himself was on the force and had retired a while back. Patterson couldn’t resist a conversation with a retired officer.
An Old Pro
Pattersons life-long regard for the force made him an eager listener to the stories of the retired officer.
The retiree was more than happy to reminisce about his days in the force, especially if it could get him out of a ticket.
Shared Experiences
It turned out that the driver, Matthew Bailly, had not only been a police officer, but he had been an officer in Piscataway. Piscataway is a small township in New Jersey. One of the kinds of towns where everyone knows one another.
Patterson, a little taken aback, told Bailly that he was from Piscataway himself. Interesting, but not quite odd.
Shared Experiences
With their new-found connection of a shared stomping ground, the two talked about the town and the force.
They went back and forth sharing stories, Patterson being particularly interested in stories from the retired officers rookie days.
Reminiscing
After years on the force even an interesting story can seem like an every-day occurrence, but as a rookie cop you are experiencing everything for the first time. Some things become expected and mundane, but some stories stay with you forever.
Bailly quickly shared one of his most impactful stories with Patterson. Patterson listened intently to the details.
Reminiscing
It is not everyday that you pull over a retired police-man, and Patterson was taken aback by the details of Bailly’s story.
Bailly had found a good audience with a personal connection and quickly shared his experience.
The Unplanned Birth
In 1991, Matthew Bailly had been on the force for a while, but he had definitely had not seen it all just yet.
Every cop has their story that is etched into their minds forever, and for Matthew Bailly that story happened right in the hometown of the officer standing in front of him on that June day.
The Unplanned Birth
The call that came in on the night of October 5th was from a nervous husband, calling for assistance with his wife.
The woman had gone into unplanned labor at their residential home, and the first timers were desperate for help.
The Rookie Cop’s Rescue Mission
Bailly was more than ready, but not at all prepared to help the desperate couple deliver their child.
As a police officer you come across many situations that you could not imagine yourself in otherwise, but you jump at the opportunity to be of service. In the 30 years that Matthew Bailly served on the force, he would not forget that night.
The Rookie Cop’s Rescue Mission
Only four years into his service, the young police officer jumped into action when they received the emergency call over the police radio.
The call had come from the husband who was alone in aiding his wife at their home in Piscataway.
A Surprise Delivery
The woman had been out doing her groceries. Well into her third trimester, very ready to give birth, she was still hoping to enjoy some time before the baby arrived.
In the middle of her shopping she began to experience intense pain, and realised it was go time, earlier than expected. She drove herself home, calling her husband with a heads up.
A Surprise Delivery
Getting home, she met her husband and the two knew there was no choice, the baby would be coming in it’s own time, right now, at home.
They called the police for backup immediately. The night would go down in history for everyone.
Collecting the Puzzle Pieces
Bailly told his story in the manner that you would expect from a retired police officer. He got all the right details in there, while getting to the point quickly.
It was an exciting story with no need for any fluff or embellishment. From start to finish the story, just like the labor, didn’t take long, but had its impact.
Collecting the Puzzle Pieces
Bailly noticed the look on the state trooper’s face. The story was a classic for the retired police officer, and it was definitely a crowd pleaser.
But there was something else other than general interest on the state trooper’s face.
Something Sounds Familiar
During the story State Trooper Patterson was hanging on every word. He could not believe that he was hearing this story from someone who had experienced it first hand. What was more curious was one detail in particular.
During the story Bailly had shared the name of the street where the baby was delivered that fateful night. Patterson had to double check.
Something Sounds Familiar
In fact, the street where the incident took place, was the very same street that Patterson himself had grown up on.
Not only had he grown up on Poe St, but he was born there, too. Patterson had his own story to tell.
Putting it All Together
In Patterson’s time on patrol he had not met anyone from the force, current or retired. Neither had he met anyone from Piscataway.
Here he was standing with a retired officer whose beat was his hometown, hearing a story that happened on his very street, the street where he was born and raised. The story was very familiar to Patterson.
Putting it All Together
He himself was born in 1991, on Poe Street, in his own strange circumstances. He looked at the retired officer and wondered if their stories were connected, the infringement ticket long forgotten. There was only one thing left to ask.
The Make or Break Question
Patterson stood beside the white BMW, ready to ask a simple question. What was the baby’s name? Bailly, who had told the story over and over, was not used to being asked that particular question, but of course had the name etched in his mind.
When you are a part of such a bonding experience, you never forget the details.
The Make or Break Question
The baby’s name was Michael, and he was delivered right there on Poe Street on October 5th, 1992.
The details all matched up, and State Trooper Michael Patterson was overwhelmed to share his story with the retired officer.
The Big Reveal
Quickly, almost in one breath, Patterson told Bailly, ‘That was me, I was that baby.’ Patterson immediately extended his hand to Bailly, who was still sitting in his car. Bailly took the whole thing for a joke.
It would be an easy joke to make, the trooper did live on the same street and looked to be about that age.
The Big Reveal
But the state trooper was completely serious, and repeated that he was, in fact, the baby that Bailly had helped deliver as a rookie back in 1991.
The two were completely shocked and amazed at the incredible coincidence that day.
Complete Shock
The first words to fly out of Matthew Bailly’s mouth when he heard the news were ‘Get the hell out!’. It seemed impossible that after so many tellings of this story, that he had just told it to the very baby he had delivered.
What were the odds of the two of them meeting on that highway on that average summer’s day?
Complete Shock
The two warmly shook hands as Bailly continued to process the new information. It was not the kind of thing you could easily grasp, shaking hands with the baby that you delivered 27 years ago.
Patterson had definitely gotten more than he had bargained for.
So Grateful
Michael Patterson had grown up hearing the story of the night he was born. His mother had been out doing grocery shopping, and she had come home to her husband just in time.
All their birthing plans went out the window when little Michael decided it was his time to enter the world, and nothing was going to stop him.
So Grateful
The New Jersey police were at the scene in no time, ready to help the family welcome their new addition to Poe Street where they would settle, and tell the story of his birth every year on his birthday.
A Matter of Fate
The story of Michael’s delivery that took police assistance is a story all on its own. Now, almost 30 years later, the seemingly random reunion is enough to give anyone goosebumps.
Tinted windows is an easy offence to miss, but Michael’s dedication to his job gave him a keen eye for detail. With a birth story like that, feels a lot like fate.
A Matter of Fate
Many little kids dream of being a police officer, but this little boy had his own, personal path to the force.
Michael always felt that his birth story gave him a special connection to the force, and he never took his eye off that ball.
Telling the Family
Both Patterson and Bailly were extremely excited to tell their families. As Bailly came to terms with the reality that he was talking with ‘the’ Michael, he could not wait to tell his wife.
As a police officer you rarely get to see the product of your efforts, and here it was 27 years on. Bailly couldn’t help but feel proud.
Telling the Family
Patterson was excited to tell his family that he had found the officer who had helped them in their time of need all those years ago; the officer that made sure that their baby boy was brought safely into this world.
A Slight Hiccup
Both families were completely stunned with the news, and had the same reaction. Bailly’s wife asked if they had swapped information, and the Pattersons were desperate to get in touch with the former officer.
A Slight Hiccup
The two had not swapped information. In their excitement, Patterson had waived the ticket, the two had shaken hands, and parted ways.
Luckily, Patterson remembered that he had taken Baily’s details for the infringement that he never filed.
Patterson was also fitted out with police standard gear, including his camera that captured the entire exchange.
The Emotional Reunion
Respecting Bailly’s privacy, Patterson opted to write a heartfelt letter of appreciation to his home address. In the letter he asked if the officer would like to reunite with the Patterson family.
Matthew Bailly embraced the unique opportunity that every officer’s hope to see the fruit of their labor.
The Emotional Reunion
After twenty seven years, Patterson’s mother had the opportunity to reunite with the officer that helped her bring her son into the world. Bailly told reporters, “I think a greater power somehow made that meeting happen and I’m not sure where it’s going to take us, and I’m willing to go on the journey.”
Here Is The Full Interview on Video:
*sources: CBS, Washington Post, ABC news, Charlotteobserver, Youtube
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Foster Boy Adoption Hearing Makes Courtroom Cry
Many parents around the world consider adopting children, but this is no easy task to accomplish. It can take months (if not years) to finalize an adoption, even for the most loving couple on Earth.
Just ask Sara and Stuart Shank, a couple that had unexpectedly found themselves in the process of adopting two of their foster children.
From the very start, Sara had only wanted to foster babies and toddlers, but all of that changed when she met Dayshawn. Dayshawn was the older brother of one of their foster children, and they knew he was an exceptional child from the moment they met him.
The journey from foster parents to prospective adoptive parents is an incredibly emotional one. Make sure you have a box of tissues handy before reading!
She Dreamed of Being a Foster Mom
Ever since she was young, Sara Cozad had a dream for the future.
Being a kind and loving person, she had always wanted to someday become a foster mom, opening her home to children in need.
She Dreamed of Being a Foster Mom
With the kind of determination she had, she knew her dream would someday become a reality.
Luckily for Sara, she would meet a man who shared her ambition.
Meeting Stuart
Upon meeting Stuart Shank, her soon to be husband, Sara was upfront and direct about her desire to someday open her home to foster children. To Sara’s happy surprise, Stuart seemed to be very receptive to the idea.
“I was impressed with how he rolled with it,” she said.
Meeting Stuart
She was overjoyed to have found someone who shared her plans for the future.
Journey to Become Foster Parents
The two married when Sara was only 19 and began their journey to become foster parents.
“I never felt compelled to have biological children,” Sara said about her decision.
Journey to Become Foster Parents
“And it just made sense if kids in our community need a place to stay and we have a house, that is what we would do.”
All was going as planned.
Baby Steps
Given the couple’s young age, they decided it would be best for them to begin by fostering infants and toddlers.
They did not yet feel ready to start fostering older children and believed starting with young children would be an easier start for them.
Baby Steps
This might have been their original plan, but life has a funny way of completely changing expectations.
Fostering Michael
Their first foster child was a baby who stayed with them for one week. They were then asked to take in another child, a three year old named Michael.
They were told they would only be taking the boy for a weekend, but the plans would change again and again.
Fostering Michael
“That weekend turned into a week. And that week into months.
And those months into years,” Sara said.
An Unexpected Encounter
Within the first few months of fostering Michael, the couple was visiting by Michael’s older brother Dayshawn.
Upon seeing his brother, Dayshawn ran up to him and wrapped him in a warm hug and held him tightly.
An Unexpected Encounter
Watching the emotional moment between the two brothers, Sara understood that she absolutely had to do whatever she could to make sure the two were not separated again.
She Had Her Doubts
However, Dayshawn was 10 years old, above the age that Sara was initially willing to foster.
She had many doubts at first, unsure if she was ready to take on the responsibility of caring for an older child, one that was only 13 years her junior.
She Had Her Doubts
But she did not remain uncertain for long, once she began speaking to Dayshawn she knew things would work out.
It Was Completely Natural
“We fell in love with Dayshawn the second he opened his mouth,” she said.
When speaking to him, Sara knew that Dayshawn was a special child. During their first conversation, Sara already felt like she had always been the boy’s mother, their relationship felt completely natural to both of them.
It Was Completely Natural
Sara’s age no longer felt like an obstacle, and she was sure in her decision to foster both boys
The End Goal
At the time the couple was still fostering children for various amounts of time. They end goal for each child they brought in was to eventually bring them back to live with their birth parents.
“We advocate for reunification whenever it’s possible,” Sara said.
The End Goal
“The best part about fostering is seeing parents work tremendously hard to get their children back.”
Considering Adoption
As they spent more time with Michael and Dayshawn, a new possibility came to the couple’s mind. Though they had always worked towards reuniting children with their parents, they began to consider adopting the brothers if reunification was not possible.
However, adoption would not be an easy task to fulfill.
Considering Adoption
It would take time and legal proceedings for Sara and Stuart to officially become the boy’s parents, but they were still willing to move forward with it.
Always Uncertain
As time went on, it became less clear whether or not the brothers would ever be reunited with their parents.
“This process went on for years,” Sara wrote on her blog.
The couple was still more than ready to become the boy’s adoptive parents, but as we said, adoption is not a simple process.
Always Uncertain
In the meantime, the boys remained living with the couple.
An Unclear Outcome
According to Sara, she and Stuart would get ready for reunification, and then half a year later start preparing for adoption.
Plans would constantly flip flop and change, they never knew what to expect.
An Unclear Outcome
Either way, they wanted Michael and Dayshawn to be happy and would do whatever possible to ensure that.
But it seemed like the final outcome was never clear.
She Learned from the Process
Sara said that the process taught her a lot, even though it was different at times.
Because she never knew when her last days with the boys would be, she made sure to enjoy every moment they had together.
She Learned from the Process
She learned how to be patient and not worry too much about how things would play out in the future.
The Cycle Ends
Eventually this cycle of uncertainty ended, Sara and Stuart were going to move forward with their plans to officially adopt the two boys!
The court proceeding took place on August 13, 2018. It was undoubtedly an emotionally intense day for the whole family, but Dayshawn in particular had something to say that stunned the entire courtroom.
The Cycle Ends
And because the proceedings were recorded, we are able to share it with you.
The Court Proceeding
In the footage of the adoption proceeding, the judge asked the family, “You think they all agree that this adoption ought to go forward?”
Most children his age might feel shy and intimidated in a courtroom, but not Dayshawn.
He responded, “Yeah, they all love us”.
The Court Proceeding
The courtroom was noticeably moved by his words, but Dayshawn wasn’t done saying what was on his mind.
Dayshawn Speaks Up
“We love them. Our whole family is the best thing we ever had.” Dayshawn said, full of happiness.
At this point, Sara was overwhelmed with emotion and began to cry tears of joy. But Dayshawn still had more to.
Dayshawn Speaks Up
“I’m glad to have these people in my life. I’m glad to be their son. They’re the best thing I ever had.”
The Verdict
Dayshawn finished his short speech by telling the judge, “If I could wish for anything in the world, I would wish I could just love these people for the rest of my life.”
Sara and Stuart’s faces were both streaked with tears after hearing what he had to say.
The Verdict
Only one question remained, would the couple legally become the boy’s adoptive parents?
Finally Adopted!
The proceeding ended pretty much as everyone had expected, Sara and Stuart were now the boy’s adoptive parents!
The couple threw a party with the family and friends who had flown out to celebrate the joyous occasion.
Finally Adopted!
You can clearly tell by their expression that the boys are extremely happy, and not just because they got to ride in a limo!
A New Name
Now that Michael and Dayshawn were legally adopted, they took on Stuart’s last name, making their part in the family official.
Dayshawn was even allowed to choose a middle name for himself. He settled on the name “Star”, which his new mother says suits him perfectly.
A New Name
The unconventional middle name fits Sara’s description of him being a completely non-stereotypical young man.
The Same, but Different
Looking toward the future, Sara believes that her family’s life has changed, but also stayed the same.
The four of them had always been a family, the court proceeding could never change that.
But now they finally knew that they would be the boy’s permanent parents.
The Same, but Different
Sara sums it up by saying, “everything has changed and nothing has changed.”
Will They Continue Fostering?
Many people wondered whether the couple would continue to foster parenting after adopting the two boys, and the answer is yes!
The same year that Michael and Dayshawn were adopted, the family fostered a 14 year old. And Stuart and Sara are even getting ready to open their home to children who have dealt with trauma.
Will They Continue Fostering?
The couple began a special training course to foster children who are survivors of sex trafficking.
Creating an Open Home
Sara explained the reason for her special training on her blog saying, “It’s heartbreaking that these demographics of teens sit in social workers’ offices or shelters for weeks (or even months) on end since so few homes are open to them.”
Creating an Open Home
She wants to be ready to foster any child who needs a loving home.
Does She Have Any Regrets?
You may be wondering whether Sara has any regrets about her decision to become a foster mom, but she’s never doubted it for a second.
She believes that it’s her duty to her community to have her home open to children in need.
Does She Have Any Regrets?
“No child should feel grateful to have a family love them,” she said, “It should be a given.”
She’s Totally Humble
Despite her selflessness, Sara is incredibly humble about her actions and feels lucky to open her home to these children.
“Sometimes people say we are incredible people. That’s not true,” she says.
She’s Totally Humble
“It’s just showing up and trying to do your best. We meet incredible kids and families and it’s a great privilege to care for kids in our community.”
We Can All Learn from Them
Even though Sara approaches her decision to foster with humility, we believe she deserves recognition for her kindness.
Most people would not be willing to open their home the way that she and her husband did.
We Can All Learn from Them
We hope this story will serve as an inspiration to everyone to approach others with love and compassion the way Sara and Stuart do.