DETROIT, Mich. (WXYZ) — A moment caught on camera in Macomb County, Michigan is reminding people that they are not alone.
It happened after a call came in about a driver who had pulled over on the side of the road. The caller wanted to make sure the driver was OK.
Deputy Jacob Thorne and Deputy Fred Parisek of the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office checked on the driver and it became clear that he had a lot on his shoulders.
When he was asked if they could help him, he said, “I could use a hug.”
Thorne gave that hug.
Deputies say the sheriff’s office asked the man for permission to share this video, and he agreed. They hope it reminds people that there is help out there.
It is a lesson Thorne, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan after Sept. 11, says he had to learn through experience.
“When I came out of the military, I was only 23. I did three tours. It weighed so much on me losing friends,” he said.
Thorne says he talks often to his wife and fellow veterans, and when needed, professionals.
“There’s things that happened to me when I was in the military and I wouldn’t talk about it because I thought it would make me less of a man. And once I got over it and talked, it relieved a lot of stress out of my life,” he said.
Thorne said everyone needs to show care for each other.
“A hug goes a long way,” Thorne said. “It reassured me that things I went through years ago, when I saw that young man's face, I knew he was going through something similar to what I went through back in the day.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988.
This story was originally reported by Kim Russell on wxyz.com.
