CLEVELAND — It's been a little over three months since Dawn Derbin lost her oldest son Jacob.
"Your memory will live on, in the stories we tell, the values we uphold and the lives you've touched. You are a true hero," she said while reading a letter she wrote to her son. "Jacob chose to serve with dedication and courage, his commitment was not a profession. It was a calling and a reflection of his deep desire to make the world a safer place for others. He believed in justice in protecting those who could not protect themselves and upholding the values in honor of integrity."
Two states away, in New York, Jon and Karen Ritter are honoring their own hero: their son Jamieson, killed on July 4, 2024.
"He went out in the community every day, you know, on his 12-hour shift, and he tried to make a difference, tried to make it better, tried to make it safer," Jon Ritter said.
He did "good" with his partner, Brittany.
"I look at Brittany, they were the dynamic duo as far as partnership being together 12 to 16 hours a day together, making a difference ... and her name's never once mentioned. And, truthfully, it bothers me. It bothers me that it's not just about Jamieson. It was the two of them that did everything together in communities to make a difference," Karen said.
Jamieson has displayed kindness since he was a little boy.
"You see that picture Jamieson?" Karen said while holding a picture up of Jamieson at his preschool graduation. "Holding onto that little girl's hand in preschool? I'm gonna read just the first two sentences that, that this girl sent me with that picture or preschool picture. She was a very, very quiet girl. Very quiet. She said, 'I'll always remember being in preschool with Jamieson, having him in my class was the greatest blessing God could ever give to me. I was so quiet and he always made me feel and seem cared for. He talked to me when no one else would. He was there for me. And I always felt safe when I was around him.' So Jamieson has always cared for the underdog and took care of people his entire life ... to include me," Karen said through tears.
In losing both of their sons, time doesn't matter, because the families share the same heartbreak. They also share the same desire to keep their son's giving spirits alive.
"So that people actually realize what police officers do that on a day-to-day basis that they don't get recognition for," Jon said. "There's a ton of things that we've heard about Jamieson that we never would've heard about if he hadn't been murdered."
That's why these two families are coming together to honor their sons with a T-shirt drive, benefitting Ohio Concerns of Police Survivors, which provides resources to families of fallen officers, like counseling, camps and endless support.
"Ohio COPS did a lot for us and Dawn through this whole process, and they do a lot for the families of all fallen officers in Ohio," Jon said. "So it's very important to us to give back. These organizations are doing a lot for a lot more people than I think they actually expected when they opened up their organizations. And it's unfortunate that that has happened, but it's the reality of the world we live in today. So for us, anything we can do to give back is great."
Dawn says she feels appreciative that the Ritter's have opened their hearts to her.
"To have somebody understand whole wholeheartedly with every cell in your body, what you're going through? Support is the only thing holding us up," she said.
And, so is knowing that the two heroes have been reunited in heaven. Their goodness carries on.
"They're teamed up there doing good. That's what they did here on Earth," Dawn said.
"People need to at some point realize that the good guys are here to help you and they're not here to hurt you," Jon said.
To purchase a T-shirt from the fundraiser honoring Officer Derbin and Officer Jamieson, click HERE.
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