A Ridgetown man is forever thankful after the encounter he had with a Chatham-Kent police officer.
27-year-old Ryan Chaplin-Lupu said that after dealing with deep depression, his mental state became so severe in October that he had to be taken to Chatham-Kent Health Alliance by health team officers. The one silver lining of the ordeal -- meeting Constable Lisa Rodger.
According to Chaplin-Lupu, Rodger didn't leave his side the whole time he was in the emergency room and sat with him for over three hours after her shift was done to make sure he was alright.
While this was taking place, Chaplin-Lupu's wife was also in the hospital having just given birth to their son days before. He said Rodger took measures to make sure he was able to visit his wife and newborn child before finally driving him home. Her generosity didn't end there.
"The very next day she came back just to check and me. Not because anyone had called but just to check on my health," said Chaplin-Lupu. "She stayed for about an hour, brought me Tim Hortons and helped me set up the baby's room."
Chaplin-Lupu said the situation restored his faith in the police and hopes anyone with unfavourable opinions of officers will have a change in heart.
"Give them a try, they're no different than you and me. One day if you have a breakdown and you can't handle yourself, maybe there's someone out there who you can trust and you can actually let them hold your hand through everything. That's what Lisa is. She's a friend that can hold your hand and hug you when you need it," said Chaplin-Lupu.
He said he hasn't gotten a chance to thank Rodger personally but couldn't let her good deed go unnoticed. He has since reached out to the Chatham-Kent's police cheif and even the mayor in hopes of getting Rodger recognized for going above and beyond protocol.