OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - An Oklahoma family is celebrating a Christmas they won't forget after initial moments of panic and a call to the police ended with a heartwarming revelation.
Sophia Reed moved her family to an Oklahoma City apartment using the last of her funds, including "what little Christmas money we had, you know to pay my security deposit for here," Reed told KFOR.
Then, last week, Reed's 13-year-old son Diauris disappeared. Terrified something might have happened, she called the police.
What she didn't know, however, was that Diauris was working to save enough to buy his mother a Christmas gift. His siblings were in on the project, but said they started getting nervous after his mother began looking for him.
"I was afraid he was going to get in trouble," Sophia's daughter, Deneisha said about Diauris. "I just didn't want to say anything because it would blow the whole thing."
"The whole thing" was a plan was to collect and sell enough cans to buy the present, and that's what Diauris secretly snuck off to do.
"I just wanted to do something for my mama," Diauris said.
He came home when he saw officers and told them what he was doing.
The story touched officer Roland Russell's heart, and soon he was inviting others to meet the family.
"There was so many knocks on my door, everybody just was knocking ... every time I opened my door it was the police," Sophia said.
Then the officers took it a step further. They raised $800 and bought the family Christmas and housewarming gifts.
"Most of the time when I see the police it's like, bad stuff," Diauris said. "Up here I guess it's changed, (it's) good."
"They caught us at the right time and we are so grateful," Sophia said.
Now the family is looking for work so they can pay it forward next year.
