Kingman Police Department Lieutenant Brian Zack, a father of two, was working the night shift as a patrol sergeant when he received a call asking him to perform a welfare check at a nearby home.
According to ABC11, he responded to the call not realizing that his life would never again be the same after what he was about to witness inside the residence. “Her injuries were definitely abuse, and it needed to be investigated.” When Zack arrived at the house and went inside, he found a little girl and immediately knew something was terribly wrong the moment he laid eyes on her.
Her name was Kayla, and she was just a toddler at the time. Sadly, the little girl was so badly hurt that it was obvious she had been abused. One of her eyes was swollen, she had dried blood in both her ears, and she had different colored bruises all about her face. But she was still happy-go-lucky, a little two-year-old. Making matters worse, this was the third time her abuse had been reported to authorities.
Police Officer Bonds with Abused Girl, Eventually Adopts Her as Daughter
According to Breitbart, “I recognized her injuries and what they meant and the abuse that she suffered in different stages, so I knew something wasn’t right.”I took care of her and took her back to the station,” Zack recalled.
“We watched Wreck-It Ralph, and we just bonded.” The pair bonded so much in just five hours together that Zack, although not knowing it at the time, had found a little girl who would eventually become his daughter.
“I told my wife the story about this little girl that I just bonded with and would love to bring her home, but this wasn’t the first time for the loving police officer. In the past 15 years, I’ve said that many times to my wife about some kid that I met, that I would love to bring home, love, and take care of, so it was nothing new for her.
I had a lot of child abuse cases, and there were always kids that I would bond with, and I’d love to take them out of bad situations and bring them home,” Zack furthered. So this was nothing new.
What was new, however, was the fact that this time, a little girl would find her forever home with a police officer and his family in Kingman, Arizona. However, it wouldn’t happen overnight. Instead, it would take two and a half years to make it official.
After a representative from the Arizona Department of Child Safety (ACDCS) took Kayla to the hospital for evaluation and treatment of her injuries, Zack went home but couldn’t forget about little Kayla. Wondering how the toddler was doing, Zack called ACDCS and asked if he could visit her in the hospital. “I got an update on Kayla and found out that she was transported to Vegas and had a check-up on her injuries.
She would be in Vegas for a little bit, so I asked if I could be on the list to see her because I know in child abuse cases, the police are granted permission.” It didn’t take long before his family began talking about having Kayla stay with them.”So we had a family meeting, and I showed them a picture of Kayla and said, ‘This little girl may need to come to our house for some love and care for a little bit.
We don’t know how long, but it could be a couple of weeks, a month or so, and we just want to provide our loving home.’ Everyone was on board. Since the agency couldn’t find any family members who were willing to care for the little girl, the DCS worker asked the question that changed our lives, ‘Would you consider being a placement for her?’ I met her on Saturday night, and on Wednesday night, she was dropped off at our house. Zack and his wife Sierra took her in, but it wasn’t an easy feat.
Couple Adopts Child They Fostered for Two and a Half Years.
In fact, there was a lot that went into giving Kayla the home she deserved. “We had to get a bed, a high chair, and a potty chair. She came with a bag of clothes that didn’t fit her and a sippy cup, and that was it,” Zack recalled, according to Easy Family. For two and a half years, the Zacks cared for Kayla before officially adopting her in 2020 when she was four years old.”The court signed the order of adoption.
Family Adopts Foster Child, Encourages Others to Do the Same
Congratulations.”This weight was lifted because I knew that I didn’t have to worry about who was going to take care of her or love her. “The best thing to come out of 2020 is the fact that we gained an official member of our family,” a very happy Lieutenant Brian Zack declared. “That was my Christmas present,” he added. And he’s not the only one who’s thrilled with the way things turned out, as both Sierra and Kayla had some declarations of their own.
“I would definitely encourage people to do it,” Sierra said, speaking of the fostering and adoption process, “because there are so many kids who need love, even if it’s just for a small amount of time, you can make such an impact.” Following Kayla’s adoption, Brian and Sierra Zack said they’re planning to renew their foster license and help more kids. “I love her.
Police officer goes above and beyond to provide safe home for abused child.
I love her so much,” and who could blame her? After experiencing abuse at the hands of those who were supposed to love her, this child was finally granted the home and loving family she deserved, thanks to a police officer who went above and beyond the call of duty in a big way. “When we got her, she basically knew three words.
She grunted like a caveman and didn’t know how to talk. Now she loves to talk,” Zack admitted, thrilled to report that Kayla is now happy and flourishing, as children tend to do in a safe and loving home. So, job well done, Officer Zack. Let’s hope this display of love and compassion sets an example for others to follow.
