Server felt something was 'off' about a family with teen boy at diner. Her simple note saved his life
The server knew she had to do something to help.
An observant server intervened when a boy signaled he wasn't okay.
A server's astute observation and courage to act may have saved an 11-year-old boy's life, and at the very least, saved him from an abusive home. It's a good reminder to pay attention, to listen to gut feelings, and not to hesitate to take action when you sense something is terribly wrong.
According to CNN, Flaviane Pimenta Carvalho, a server at Mrs. Potato Restaurant in Orlando, Florida, noticed a boy who seemed quiet and distraught while out to dinner with his family in January of 2021. The boy was wearing a mask and a hoodie, and he wasn't eating with everyone else. Being a mother of a teenager herself, Carvalho felt something wasn’t right. She observed the family and realized they weren’t letting the boy have anything. He also had a scratch on his elbow and was quiet and upset.
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The server enquired about why the boy was not eating by asking whether the items were okay. However, the family assured her that he would dine at home. “You don’t deny food for a kid, especially in a restaurant,” Carvalho said. She immediately called foul play and wanted to help. Frightened about who the people were and what the situation may be, Carvalho proceeded with caution.
“I thought I needed to do something. I could not see him go away without any help,” she recalled. She then sent the boy a first note asking whether he was okay. Discreetly, slipping the note when the parents weren’t looking, she waited at a distance for a response. The boy nodded, “No.” To get a better confirmation before involving the authority, the woman sent another note that sealed the deal. She wrote only 4 words that read, “Do you need help?” The boy immediately nodded yes. As soon as Carvalho got that cue, she notified her boss and immediately dialed 911.
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After the police arrived, they questioned the boy, who complained of child abuse via beatings and being denied food. The parents were held accountable, and on further checking, it was revealed that the two were guilty of several child abuse and neglect allegations. Investigator Erin Lawler, who looked into the case, revealed that the boy was sent to a hospital for further checkups and was found to be tortured and 20 pounds underweight for his age. He told detectives he'd had straps tied around his ankles and neck and was hung upside down from a door, had been struck with a wooden broom, and had been handcuffed and tied to a large moving dolly.
“What this child had gone through was torture. I’m a mother and seeing what that 11-year-old had to go through… It shocks your soul,” Lawler remarked. Sharing in a now removed Facebook post, Carvalho revealed that she was obliged to help the boy, seeing his plight.
“Because of her, two children… were saved,” Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon said at a press conference. “We probably would have been talking about a potential homicide investigation if she had not intervened when she did.”
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The boy's stepfather, Timothy Lee Wilson, was convicted in June of 2022 on false imprisonment, aggravated child abuse with a weapon, aggravated child abuse, and child neglect charges. Two months later, he was sentenced to life in prison, per Orlando News 6. The boy's mother, Kristen Swann, was found guilty of aggravated child abuse and failure to report child abuse by a household member. After a plea deal, she was sentenced to 364 days in jail with 15 days' credit for time served. She is also serving a 14-year probation and is prohibited from having contact with her son or any other minors.
Carvalho also received an “Everyday Hero” Award from the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children for her courageous act. “I feel that I did what any human being should do and that is to stand up and reach out to help a child in danger," she noted. I'll never forget the feeling I had when I saw that little boy – I just knew something wasn't right! She added that despite being scared, she pushed herself to look into the matter and that made all the difference. “Each of us can promise to look after children everywhere – each of us can make a difference!”
This article originally appeared in September.