As a tv news anchor, I tell stories all day on camera. Often the stories are sad, disturbing, and sometimes violent. I have learned over the years many ways way to block most of them out of my mind and heart because if I took each one to heart, I would be an emotional mess every day at work.
Recently, there was a story in one of my daily newscasts about a waitress in Florida who had saved a young boy from domestic abuse. When I heard the story, I knew I had to interview this woman.
Flaviane Carvalho shared with me that the boy had come in with his family to eat at the restaurant where she works. Something about the situation didn’t feel right to her, and she knew something was terribly wrong with the situation.
After observing the boy a little more, she noticed a wound between his eyebrows, bruises around one of his eyes, and bruises on his arm. His family was also not allowing him to eat dinner.
She devised a plan to communicate with him by making a homemade sign that said “Do you need help?” She also hid behind a refrigerator so his parents couldn’t see the sign. The boy nodded yes, implying he needed help.
When I interviewed Flaviane, she told me she was super concerned once he said “yes,” so she decided to call 9-1-1. Turns out, the 11-year-old was being tortured by his step-father. The rest is history and now the parents have been arrested.
This story got national attention. Flaviane got attention as well, as she should have. She is an angel. The fact that she took the time to pay attention to this child and act on her instincts is truly the definition of kindness. Her unassuming actions literally saved his life. I was honored to interview Flaviane and to share her story.
