AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: JULY 2017 21 Not all heroes wear capes Heroism is a many splendored thing O fficer Lindsey Bittorf of the Milton Police Department in Wisconsin was on Facebook late last year and saw the post below from a mother seeking possible kidney do- nors for her 8-year-old son, Jackson Arneson. Here’s what she saw post- ed by the Mom: “Jackson went in for a rou- tine kidney appointment the end of November. At this ap- pointment, his labs showed that his kidney function is still decreasing and the doctors are in talks of activating him on the deceased donor list for a kidney transplant. The doctors still explained the very best situ- ation would be finding a living donor for Jackson. I always knew these days would come, it’s just so hard when they are here. I have reached out before, I am just trying again to see if we can find anyone out there that would be interested in being tested. Social media has the ability to go a long ways, and Jackson’s transplant social worker reassured me of this. A donor for him would have to be an O+ blood type. Please help me get the word out and please contact me if you would be interested in being a living kidney donor. This would be the very best gift we could receive. #kidneydonation” So Officer Bittorf was off to the hospital, immedi- ately, to find out if she was a match. “I’m pretty set in my ways, so if I set my mind to something, there’s really no talking me out of doing this. I was doing it,” Bittorf told ABC News affiliate WISN. Doctors were shocked to find out that Lindsey was a perfect match. “This is seriously, like, meant to be,” she said in an interview with WISN. “It’s going to be me.” Bittorf was excited to meet Jackson and told him the following when they got together: “I took an oath to serve and protect our community, and now my kidney’s going to serve and protect you.” “We hugged a lot and we cried a lot, and it was just a pretty amazing moment,” Kristi Goll, Jackson’s mom told reporters. Hats off to Officer Lindsey Bittorf. Not all heroes wear capes, but a lot of them where police uniforms. Above: Officer Lindsey Bittorf, Jackson Arneson and his Mom, Kristi Goll “Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Help honor the men and women who serve, sacrifice, and protect. Be a part of history at the National Law Enforcement Museum: join the Honor Alliance today. Learn more at www.StandWithHonor.us