When a Boy's Condition Prevents Him from Going outside, an Officer Offers to be His Best Friend
by Chiara Elena Romero | Oct 6, 2018 | NEWS | 0 comments
Someone once said, "There's no age limit when it comes to friendship." For officer Ronald Saladin there was no limit.
School Resource Officer Ronald Saladin, 29, first became best friends with 6-year-old Braylon Henson after finding out about his genetic disorder.
The first-grader suffers from ectodermaldysplasia, which is a condition that does not allow him to have sweat glands. With this condition, Henson cannot go outside if the temperature is above 74 degrees Fahrenheit because he may overheat.
Lately, Braylon has had to stay inside during recess ever since he started first-grade at Bay Minette Elementary School.
According to an article printed in Good Morning America, mother Jamie Wright said, "Right now it's extremely hot, so he hasn't been out at all."
Despite not going out, Braylon gets to have fun with some drum pads and officer Saladin.
"He hangs out with Miss. Stewart, his counselor, she is so awesome with him. They bought him little drum pads, he'll play on those and they would read."
Eventually the friendship with the officer sparked when Braylon went to the counselor's office and Ronnie Saladin, the school resource officer questioned, why the boy was not outside during recess.
"I didn't understand why he was in there everyday," Saladin told "GMA." "She said he had a skin condition and he would cry sometimes and feel left out. I said, Well, he's not going to feel left out. He's going to walk with me."
The friendship ignited popularity for Braylon among his peers. Saladin even brought Braylon a little police officer's uniform, so he could look the part for their patrolling through school.
Braylon assists Saladin in looking for safety issues on the school grounds and writes "tickets" for teachers and students who are breaking minor rules.
"When they're running in the hallways, he will yell at them and keep order," Saladin said, laughing. "He's very smart and even though he has that skin condition, he's really positive. He has a lot of talent. He wants to be a drummer and I feel like he's going to be very intelligent."
Before Braylon started first grade, his mother was worried if Braylon would get bullied for his condition. After she also expressed her concern, Saladin wanted to ease her concern and be a pal to Braylon.
"He felt left out, and I didn't want him to feel out. His mom was afraid he was going to get picked on and bullied when he came to school, Saladin told News WKGR. "It's definitely a blessing, like it was meant to be."
Chiara Elena Romero
Chiara Elena will plan to graduate in May 2019 with a B.S. in English: Journalism and minors in writing and biblical studies. She has written for Corban University's "Hilltop News" and the Odyssey Online. When she is not writing articles, she adores writing short stories and poetry. She is also working on a novel right now. When not writing, she enjoys reading, hiking, swimming, walks on the beach, adventuring, making music, giving back to special needs children and those experiencing homelessness, and spending time with family and friends.