Weeks before her son’s birthday, Sarah Schieber got an unusual request.
Micah, her son, was set to graduate from Midland High School that year. They wanted to throw a party to celebrate and they were listing down who they’d invite.
He wanted the cops to come.
Micah had an idea.
He wanted to invite not just one person, but a whole sector of their community. Micah wanted the local police department to celebrate with them.
“As we were prepping the invites, he said ‘Mom, would it be OK if we invite the police department,'” Sarah recalled to the Midland Daily News.
It was a tall order, most especially when his request involved a group that was always on duty.
Sarah, bracing that their request would be rejected, sent an e-mail to the department anyway.
Sarah received a response soon after.
The department said that some officers might be available to attend the high school senior’s graduation party.
But when the day finally came, Sarah was touched by a gesture she didn’t expect.
18 officers showed up in full uniform
They also brought along an entire parade of squad cars. But why did the officers dedicate this much effort?
“My heart just swelled with joy and appreciation that (the officers) would care enough about Micah to do this for a kid that they don’t even know,” Sarah said to the local news outlet. “It was out of honor for (Micah’s) dad.”
Chad Schieber, Micah’s dad, was a career police officer. He worked with the force for more than a decade.
Micah was six when his dad passed away.
He and his wife were attending a marathon in Chicago. Chad went ahead and told his wife that they’d meet at the finish line.
That was the last time Sarah would ever see Chad.
Chad suffered from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, described as “a group of inherited disorders that affect your connective tissues — primarily your skin, joints and blood vessel walls.”
He passed away during the race.
And through the pain of loss, the police force supported their family.
“(Micah) doesn’t remember (his dad) much — the way he remembers him is through all of us, so to have those officers come and honor his dad in that way speaks volumes to Micah about who his dad was,” Sarah Schieber said to the news outlet.
And to celebrate Chad’s life and legacy, the local police force rallied behind Micah and his family.
A bond forged in love.
Even if they are not related by blood, they are all bonded together by love.
“I knew this would be a big day for my family and I, and the fact that my dad can’t be there is always in the back of my mind,” Micah said to the Midland Daily News. “I know that (my dad’s) brothers and sisters in blue are a big part of my family, so just being able to have that part of my dad at my party was something I really wanted to happen.”
The video was posted on YouTube.
To celebrate Micah’s milestone, the force gave him a Midland Police coffee mug, a challenge coin, a special pen, and an MPD patch.
They also gave the boy $111 in reference to his father’s badge number.
Micah planned to attend Northwood University but also expressed that his plans might change.
“The more that I think about it, the more that I feel like law enforcement might be in my future,” he ended.
See this touching gesture from Midland PD and the gift Micah made them in the video below!
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