Roger Thompson’s life changed when social workers found him living under a bridge in Hawaii on Thanksgiving.
They helped him get to a nearby shelter and offered him the chance to make a phone call to his family. He called his sister in Texas, and just like that, a life of more than 20 years of drug and alcohol abuse began to turn around.
On Christmas, Thompson hugged his sister Sarah Blanks — a reunion both agree was far overdue.
“”It’s like the best Christmas present ever. It’s very special. And it’s just special to be back,” Thompson told NBC 5 from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been around family.”
Blanks was at a loss for words.
“It means a lot,” she said. “It’s hard to explain. It’s a comfort. It’s a peace. It’s knowing that your family is together. It’s a good feeling. Especially on Christmas. He’ll be with his family on a day that’s so special.”
Thompson, 64, used to work lighting on movie sets for classics such as Jurassic Park and Godzilla. When work slowed, he turned to drugs and alcohol and ended up homeless. The phone call changed everything.
He has spent the last month working out travel plans to get back to Texas.
Everything came together with a special Christmas reunion Thursday. For Thompson, reuniting with his family is not the end of his turnaround. According to the NBC 5 report:
Thompson said he’s an Army veteran, and he hopes to contact the VA and see if his expertise in lighting and his union membership from Hawaii can land him a job in North Texas.