MODESTO, Calif. — A Modesto man has a new job and a new son after an unusual, but heartwarming ceremony at Modesto's Memorial Medical Center.
Trent Kersey's childhood dream of becoming a police officer became a reality in the hospital room Tuesday, nearly an hour after his wife Victoria Kersey gave birth to their second son, Theo.
Trent, a 25-year-old army veteran, was scheduled to graduate from San Joaquin Delta College's Post Academy this week and get sworn in as a Modesto police officer on Tuesday. Plans quickly changed when Victoria went into labor a day before the ceremony and nearly a week before her due date.
"The day before, we were practicing rehearsals at the academy for our graduation, and then [I] came home that afternoon and talked to the wife. And then, next thing you know, we gotta go down to the hospital that night, and I had to call the academy staff and my department and let them know I wasn't gonna make it to graduation," Trent told ABC's "Good Morning America."
According to ABC News, the father of two felt bittersweet missing the ceremony, but excited to meet his new son. He told the outlet that the staff members at the police academy were all "very, very understanding."
"My sergeant was just checking in on me, [making] sure things [were] OK. And then he reached out to me and said, 'Hey, how would you feel about me, the chief and other higher-ups in the department coming by and swearing you in at the hospital?'" said Trent in an interview with GMA.
Trent was quick to respond saying that he would be honored to be sworn in at the hospital. The National Guard servicemember spoke with his wife and hospital staff and got approval to bring the swearing-in ceremony to Victoria's hospital room.
"Theo was born, and about an hour later, the chief of Modesto PD and my sergeant [and] other higher-ups came by and swore me in," Trent told GMA.
Recruiting sergeant Frank Inacio witnessed the swearing-in, ABC News reported.
"He texted me the day before saying, 'Hey, my wife's in labor.' So we knew he wasn't going to be at graduation," Inacio told GMA. "I also knew that he was the class leader at the time, so … that's a big, big position to hold. So we knew he was going to miss an opportunity at the academy that most people don't miss. Those are big days in people's careers."
Inacio told ABC News that the unusual ceremony exemplified the Modesto Police Department's efforts to emphasize a "family first" approach.
"This career overwhelms you. It can suck you in, and the biggest thing is letting these new officers know, 'We support you. It's family first.' They're the ones that are going to be there when this career is over. It's important to start that from the beginning," Inacio told ABC News.
The Kerseys are now back home with a new family member and a heartfelt story that Trent hopes will bring a positive light to the people who chose to work in the law enforcement field.
"Law enforcement are people too. We're not just out there doing a job," Trent told GMA. "We're also people and it proves that we care, we actually care about families and what's going on in the community."
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