Boy With Down Syndrome Rescued From Attic at Age 6 Returns Years Later to Thank the Officers Who Saved Him

A Six-Year-Old Boy Was Found Hidden Inside His Family’s Attic

In 2010, police officers in Kansas made a discovery that would stay with them for years.

Inside the attic of a family home, they found six-year-old Giovanni “Govi” Eastwood.

Govi had Down syndrome and had been living in severely neglected conditions.

Although he was nearly seven years old, officers said he appeared much younger because of his extremely small size.

He weighed only 17 pounds.

Police Had Already Been Called to the Home

Govi’s mother, Rachel Perez, had been taken into custody because of outstanding warrants.

Authorities had located her other children and moved them to a safe place.

But Govi was not with them.

According to Sergeant John Klingele, Perez gave police an explanation about where the boy was.

Officers initially left without finding him.

Something About the Situation Did Not Feel Right

The officers remained concerned.

They suspected that Govi might still be somewhere inside the house.

Rather than accepting the explanation they had been given, they returned and searched again.

They began calling out for the boy.

Eventually, they realized the sound they were hearing was coming from above them.

Govi Was in the Attic

The officers went up and found him there.

What they saw immediately shocked them.

Klingele later recalled that the child appeared dramatically underweight.

Although officers had been told Govi was almost seven, he looked physically closer in size to a much younger child.

He Weighed Only 17 Pounds

Govi was unable to walk normally.

He barely spoke.

His body showed the effects of prolonged malnutrition and neglect.

His hair had begun falling out because his body had not received the nutrients it needed.

His bones were weakened and bowed from rickets.

Medical Staff Believed He Was in Critical Condition

The child had been deprived of basic care for so long that the effects could be seen throughout his body.

His physical development had been severely affected.

There was very little body fat remaining.

Medical staff later indicated that Govi might not have survived much longer if he had not been found when he was.

The Attic Offered Almost Nothing a Child Needed

There was no proper bed waiting for him.

There were no toys.

There was no comfortable environment where a six-year-old child could safely live.

Authorities believed he had been placed in the attic to keep him hidden.

The discovery immediately changed the direction of the case.

His Mother Later Faced Serious Legal Consequences

Rachel Perez was eventually convicted in connection with the treatment of her son.

She received an eight-year prison sentence for attempted murder.

For the officers who found Govi, however, the legal case was only one part of the story.

The child still faced an enormous recovery.

Govi Needed More Than Immediate Medical Treatment

Being rescued from the attic did not erase the effects of what he had experienced.

His body needed time to recover.

So did his sense of safety.

Children who have experienced prolonged neglect can struggle with ordinary situations that other people take for granted.

For Govi, even basic expressions of affection initially caused fear.