Photo of state trooper holding a baby while mother eats goes viral: 'If God puts something on your heart, please follow through'
A Kentucky State Trooper is receiving an outpouring of praise after a photo of him holding a baby so his mother could eat went viral.
Tabatha Corbitt, the 29-year-old mother-of-three who was at the receiving end of the trooper’s kind act, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that she was surprised when Aaron Hampton got up from a restaurant table with his fellow troopers and walked over. However, she was grateful for the opportunity to enjoy a meal while her youngest child was entertained.
“I was iffy at first, my son doesn’t do well with strangers,” Corbitt said of Hampton’s offer to assist her at El Mazatlan in Munfordville. “I stood there holding my son as we chatted for a moment then I handed my son to the trooper. My son fussed but then began smiling and cooing so I sat down and ate while the trooper stood close with my son.”
The moment became even sweeter as the 3-month-old baby named Zerak started smiling at the officer. Corbitt, who was accompanied by her 8-year-old son, 10-year-old daughter, and her mother, decided to take a quick snapshot.
“I wanted to capture the moment to share with my son when he got older,” she says. “My mother posted it [to social media] first, then I posted immediately after.”
Still, neither Corbitt nor Hampton realized how much attention the photo would actually get. The trooper didn’t even see the photo until it was shared on a Facebook page supporting local police.
“In a time where law enforcement is viewed as the enemy, I am very happy to be a part of something so positive,” Hampton tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “I never in a million years thought it would get this much attention, but it just goes to show you, sometimes the little things have a large affect on people. And if God puts something on your heart, please follow through.”
The officer said he felt the need to offer his support to the mother since he has a young son of his own, and understands the difficulties of eating in public with a baby. To show her gratitude for the kind gesture, Corbitt quietly paid for Hampton’s meal before leaving the restaurant.
“Around the world people are at war with those in blue, and this moment shows that they do go above and beyond their duties,” Corbitt says. “Holding my baby for a few moments so I could eat might not mean much to others but it meant the world to me!”
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