A reporter never knows who is on the other end of the line when the phone rings. Sometimes, it’s a complaint. Sometimes it’s a “news tip” about strange lights in the sky and what are you going to do about it?

And then once in a while, it turns out to be something wonderful. I had that experience recently, and it has turned out to be without a doubt my most-read story since I moved back into the newsroom about a year ago.

In 24 hours on Facebook, the stats were pretty amazing for our small daily:

•  More than 35,000 people reached
• More than 100 shares
• More than 300 reactions
• 18 comments

I know it’s not all about the numbers, but when you think about those numbers represent real people, it is humbling. I’m honored Maria and her father shared their story with me so that I could share it with others.