Micah Blackwell conquers obstacles

When it comes to conquering obstacles, twelve-year-old Micah  Blackwell has weathered the storm.
One look at the little boy with  the twinkling eyes and the bright, inquisitive smile and it would be  difficult to believe that he was abandoned at birth at three days old.
But  little Micah captured the heart of Belinda Cannon, a single mother, who  fell in love with the infant with the soulful brown eyes. Although  Cannon had already raised four grown children of her own, she adopted  Micah and lovingly took him into her home. As he grew older, Micah  prayed for a little brother. When Micah was seven, Micah was filled with  joy and excitement when Cannon adopted his three-month-old brother,  Joshua.
At the age of nine, Micah attended a sporting event at the  Crenshaw Christian Center, and that is where Micahs young life changed  forever.
While at the event, Sgt. Ralph Morales from the Los Angeles  Police Departments Community Relations Section struck up a  conversation with Micah.  The sergeant was immediately attracted to  Micahs engaging and energetic personality.
He and his little brother  walked up to me and he just started talking, recalls Morales.  I gave  him my card.  I said, If you need something, you call me. He said,  What time do you get into work?
At 7:30 a.m. sharp the following  morning, Micah telephoned Morales.  The two immediately became phone  buddiescalling each other frequently as their friendship blossomed and  grew.
It wasnt long before Micah was adopted by eight other  officers in the Community Relations Section and they also became mentors  to the boy. The policemen provided Micah with advice on a variety of  issues and lent an ear whenever Micah needed someone to talk to.
Hes  just very sweet natured and very polite, said Sgt. Mark Durrell,  another of Micahs buddies.  We went shopping for school clothes and he  opened the door for me at the store. Hes very wise for his years. Very  upbeat and cheerful and he has a faith in God that is just phenomenal,  said Durrell.
The whole office has really adopted Micah, said  Morales. He knows everyone in the Community Relations office.  He  shares how his day is going and how important it is for him that he has  someone to lean on.  Everyone makes sure he gets the support, help, and  assistance he needs.
Nobody was more surprised than Micah when on  his 10th birthday, the Community Relations officers sponsored a party  for him at the Los Angeles Police Academy.
And Lt. Fred Booker  recently surprised Micah by taking him to Parker Center to meet Los  Angeles Police Chief William Bratton. And Micah was filled with awe and  excitement when Booker presented him with his very own brand new laptop  computer.
One of Micahs dreams was to be able to attend the  Frederick K.C. Price III Christian School. Cannons mother also wanted  him to attend the school, but because she was on a fixed income she  could not afford to send him.
While talking to his mentors in the  Community Relations section, Micah revealed that his dream was to attend  the school and to one day become a pastor.
When Micahs mentors  realized that Micahs dream was to be able to attend the Frederick K.C.  Price III Christian School, they flew into action.  Through the  generosity of Micahs church, the Ray Charles Foundation, the Los  Angeles Protective League, and the Community Relations mentoring team,  Micah was able to afford the tuition and attend the school.
Since  attending the school, Micah has blossomed into an exceptional student  and has eagerly immersed himself in many of the schools activities. He  is an active member in karate, plays basketball, and sings in the  Crenshaw Christian Centers Childrens choir.
And the school has  taken notice of Micahs exceptional ability as well–he has received  numerous school and church commendations for his scholastic work and  activities.
Officer Ruth Beadle, another of Micahs Community  Relations buddies, often drops by the school to check on Micah and make  sure that he has clothes and school supplies.
And Micah cherishes and  maintains the close ties with his mentors in the Community Relations  section.  He still calls them several times a week to keep them  appraised of his school and social activities, and solicits their advice  whenever he is in need of a sympathetic ear.
As for that fortunate  business card that Sgt. Morales handed him long ago, Micah has had the  card framed.  For Micah, it is a reminder of how help and caring from  friends can turn a young mans life around and fill him with hope and  encouragement for the future.
Paying homage to the generosity and  kindness of his mentors in the police department, Micah gave a tribute  to his friends when he appeared as the keynote speaker at a recent  Religious Community Forum at the Police Academy last January. In a  heartfelt speech, Micah revealed his incredible journey of being left by  his maternal mother at the hospital, the personal challenges he had  endured as a foster child, his hopes for the future, and how grateful he  was to the members of the Los Angeles Police Department who have  showered him with attention and been so kind to him over the years.
When  Micah finished, he received a standing ovation.  There was not a dry  eye in the house.