Couple struggled to cope with son's loss. Dad had an idea after spotting cop who looked just like his son

Police officers are supposed to keep people safe in the streets but some cops go out of their way to help them cope with grief and trauma as well. One such police officer is Jiang Jingwei, who selflessly continued to play the part of a grieving couple's deceased son for more than a decade for a special reason. According to the South China Morning Post, Xia Zhanhai and his wife Liang Qiaoying lost their son after a gas leak in 2003. The couple from the Shanxi province of northern China were affected terribly by their son's death.

The trauma left Liang paralyzed and cognitively impaired with the mental capacity of a 5-year-old kid. Her husband came up with a lie that their son was working in a distant city to soothe Liang's trauma. Xia then encountered the police officer Jiang who was in Shanghai and realized that the police officer had a striking resemblance to his deceased son. Xia contacted Jiang through a reality show in late 2013 to seek his help.

Jiang agreed to the idea and met the couple on the show, posing as Xia and Liang's son as the ailing mother tearfully embraced him. Jiang was dedicated to his role as their son and in 2016 he even invited the couple to a sightseeing trip to Shanghai. He took a break from work in 2018 and traveled to Shanxi to celebrate the Lunar New Year with his new family. Jiang kept in touch with the couple through video calls for the next 11 years as their bond became stronger.

Xia also penned down an emotional letter to the Shanghai Public Security Bureau to thank Jiang for all he had done and expressed his gratitude for being their "son." "Thank you for training such a kind, compassionate, and responsible police officer. For over a decade, Jiang has quietly taken on the role of a son, bringing new life to our once grief-stricken family,” he wrote in his letter. On the other hand, Jiang never felt that caring for his "parents" was ever a burden to him. “As a community police officer, I also extend the same care and compassion to the elderly in my community,” Jiang mentioned to the outlet.

He made another video call during the Chinese Chung Yeung Festival on October 11, 2024, and wished Xia and Liang good health. The news left people on social media emotional and they couldn't stop praising the police officer's efforts to protect the couple from grief. “Thank you, Jiang, for your kindness. The relationship you share with the couple has long transcended blood ties," one user on WeChat wrote, according to the South China Morning Post. “I was moved to tears. Even in a world filled with conflict and disasters, stories like this bring warmth and hope,” added another netizen. Jiang selflessly being there for more than a decade has brought happiness into the life of the couple who were left heartbroken after their son passed away.