When Jillian Hamm of Colorado looked out her window one day and saw a young man with Down’s syndrome standing outside her neighbor’s house, she knew immediately that something was not right.
“It was about 30 degrees outside today and he wasn’t dressed appropriately,” Jillian later recounted on Facebook.
Jillian is a behavioral analyst for the Behavior Services of the Rockies, so she has devoted her life to helping others who need it. Her main focus is helping people with special needs, so when she saw the man outside her neighbor’s house, she knew she had to do something.
Jillian went outside and approached the man, asking him if he was alright.
“I asked him tons of questions and tried to call all the phone numbers in his phone, to no avail,” she said.
The man was clearly very confused, so Jillian called the police. While they were waiting, Jillian gave the man some snacks and water, and he was clearly thirsty drinking four cups.
Jillian invited the man inside her home, but he refused, which actually made her happy.
“I always teach my clients, don’t go inside a stranger’s house,” she said.
It was only when a police officer arrived that the man felt safe enough to enter Jillian’s home and use the bathroom. His face lit up when he saw the Xbox gaming system that Jillian had, and when she asked if he wanted to play, he immediately said yes!
While he played, Jillian and the officer tried to figure out what to do. After asking a few more questions, they found out that the man had been trying to take a bus to a friend’s house, but he had gotten the address wrong and ended up outside Jillian’s home. Once they learned this, the officer was able to personally take the man home.
“I’m SOOOO thankful I saw him,” Jillian recounted. “It was so cold today and if I hadn’t talked to him at that moment, I worry he would have left my apartment complex and not been able to get back home. Don’t be afraid to approach people with disabilities if you feel something isn’t right!!!!!! You could be saving their life!”
We applaud Jillian for taking the time to help a man when he needed it. This just goes to show how far a small act of kindness can go!