The past few years have been traumatizing for this 10-year-old from Hillsborough County, Florida. Most kids at 8 to 10-years-old only worry about school.
But those years played out a lot differently for this boy.
This 10-year-old’s name is Ronnie Oneal. Ronnie’s father murdered his girlfriend and daughter, before stabbing Ronnie and burning down the house.
All of this happened when Ronnie was just 8-years-old. He suffered stab wounds and burns to his skin.
The life-threatening experience left Ronnie in the hospital. Now, he was fighting for his life after watching his family get murdered. I can’t imagine the toll this took on the (then) 8-year-old.
He had concerned people visiting him, of course. Some of them police officers.
Ronnie had no family left. So he really couldn’t expect any other kind of visitors.
One of them was corporal Mike Blair.
He was told of the little boy who suffered stabs and burns – and that now he was in critical condition.
Mike paid him a visit in the hospital. It was a visit that’d change both of their lives.
The corporal approached the boy, who was on multiple medications and recovering.
Ronnie took his hand, and before Mike could leave, Ronnie asked him “Could you watch a movie with me?”.
This sentence touched Mike, who was reluctant to tell the boy he could not. As an active officer, Mike had a lot of work to get back to. But Mike didn’t want to end their meeting on a negative note like that.
So he promised the boy he’d come back after work and they’d watch a movie together. Mike then called his wife, asking if they could reschedule their date for that night. “Instead of doing date night, do you mind if we go watch a movie with this kid?”.
Maybe it was the unexpected nature of it, or the sincerity that her husband said it with – but she knew where this would go.
After some talking and planning, they finally adopted Ronnie 5 months later.
I suppose the first time he spoke to the boy, Mike knew that wouldn’t be the last time they’d see each other.
And now Ronnie has come a very long way. He has a new family to come home to. Just months earlier, he had nothing. It’s incredible how much can change in a few months!
Through his new parents, he now has 2 sisters and 3 brothers.
He turned their family of 7 into a family of 8, and they couldn’t be happier about it.
Ronnie still misses his original mom and sister. He recalls the chicken wings his mom made for him, and how he communicated with his sister who couldn’t speak. While he’s okay now, there’s no denying the scars that left on the boy.
His new dad agrees, saying that Ronnie knows he had a story that was written for him. But that he doesn’t want to let that story define him.
And Ronnie is definitely writing the new chapters of his life now.
He’s got an enthusiasm for science and wants to be an actor one day.
“Anything is possible” say his parents. Ronnie can put his mind to anything, and he’ll have his family supporting him every step of the way.
The words, or mantra, that Mike told Ronnie to remember really drives things home. “It’s the family. I am safe, I am loved, and I am part of this family.”
Watch his story in the video below, and please share this article as well!
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