Speaking up can be frightening, especially when faced with potential consequences in a dangerous situation. But one brave mom-to-be from Tennessee has proven that speaking up can save a life, even when it’s hard. Jordan Cooper is Olive Garden part-time waitress. She takes shifts on weekends, although she does not work on Sunday nights on a regular basis. But this one Sunday night shift made Cooper a blessing in disguise. The server knew something was horribly wrong in her gut while waiting on a table of a couple with two young children.
The baby in particular, whom Cooper said was probably younger than 2, caught her attention right away. “I can’t even describe to you how bad she looked and how and why nobody noticed it,” Cooper told WPSD.
In a viral Facebook post that has since been deleted, Cooper said the child’s face was “black and blue all over.”
She went on to say that the man was treating the little girl harshly, force feeding her, grabbing her shirt and taking her to the bathroom whenever she cried.
It was this woman’s quick action that got this couple into the hands of authorities and behind bars — with a $200K bail for each of them.
With the help of another table at the restaurant, Cooper was able to take a photo of the man in the background.
“I had slid them my number, and they sent [the photos] to me as soon as they walked out the door,” Cooper told WPSD.
She was also able to get the license plate identifier on their vehicle and phoned 911 to get DCFS immediately involved.
911 dispatcher and friend Aaron Caldwell took down the information Cooper gave them and was soon able to track the couple down. Facebook also played a part in revelaing more details.
“She put it online and when I found it. It had 1,400 shares,” Caldwell shared with WSIL. “It just so happened that we knew each other and I’m a dispatcher.”
In the end, the parents — Mark Lee Pierce and Jessica Woodworth — are facing charges for aggravated child abuse and neglect and the children are now safe. Cooper expressed she has no regrets.
https://www.facebook.com/293367111448165/videos/241389786665773/
Though her original post can only be looked at via screenshot on WPSD, Cooper did post a follow-up to let her followers know the two children are safe and sound.
“I deleted the post but the baby is found and the… parents are in custody,” she wrote. “My heart can now be at rest. Thank you to everyone who helped me find these terrible people!”
It’s obvious to see Cooper is a hero and will be an amazing mama! We’re grateful for people like her who speak up when it’s needed most.
