By Police1 Staff
ERLANGER, Ky. — An unlikely friendship blossomed between a sergeant and an elderly veteran after the man called police to report something suspicious.
Sgt. Jon Sterling met Norm, a Korean War veteran, four years ago when he called police to report suspicious activity, WCPO reported.
Norm has lived in the same apartment for 18 years and was recently diagnosed with dementia. He’s become more reliant on other people’s help and has no family in the area. So Sterling stepped up.
https://www.facebook.com/NKYJonSterling/videos/vb.1176623169/10212358115806118/?type=2&theater
He applied for guardianship of Norm and has started a GoFundMe to move Norm into a senior care facility.
“He’s come to a time in his life where he needs somebody to take care,” Sterling said. “It’s an easy thing to care. A lot of people have shown how much they care in less than a day.”
Sterling said Norm can receive the care he needs through his Social Security and veteran benefits. They just needed $5,500 to get him into the care facility.
In less than 24 hours, Sterling and Norm met their goal, according to the GoFundMe page.
“He was enthusiastic about the facility,” Sterling told the news station. “He immediately bonded with some of the people when he walked in.”
Sterling said the two will stay friends and he’ll make an effort to visit Norm regularly.
“If you didn’t know him before his diagnosis you would say this guy is a little bit out there,” he said. “Norm’s like me. He was out there before the diagnosis.”