It was Halloween 2015 when Donald and Crystal Howard had made a quick run to the store to buy candy and face paint for their kids. Trayvion, 6; Daimean, 8; Amiah, 10; and Justin, 13 waited patiently at home.

But instead of their parents coming home, a Georgia Trooper named Nathan Bradley came to their door. Their parents had died in a crash just two minutes from home and their grandmother couldn’t be there for at least seven hours.

It was all up to Bradley to take care of things, but he decided to handle things a bit nontraditional. With the permission of his department, he decided to preserve the innocence of the children just a bit longer. Instead of putting the kids in state custody, he took the children all dressed up in their Halloween costumes and drove them to McDonald’s and Burger King for their favorite dinner foods.

He took them back to the station and treated them to ice cream and candy, took them on a tour of the police station, and hung out with them and watched movies. He made them laugh and smile. Bradley says his fake smile isn’t the best, but he was determined to wear it and let those children have a few more hours of fun before their world came crashing down.

The next day their grandmother arrived and the kids finally learned the truth. The oldest son, Justin, gave Bradley a hug so hard that he could feel it through his vest. Bradley says the children are amazing young kids, smart, and well-behaved. Their parents had done a wonderful job of raising them and it is devastating that they won’t be around to continue that.

The four siblings are now living with their grandmother and Bradley has started a GoFundMe account that has raised nearly half a million dollars for the kids.

Please share this heartbreaking story with your family and friends and don’t forget to keep these kids in your prayers.