Ryan Holets, Officer Who Adopted Heroin Addict’s Baby, Honored In Trump’s SOTU

An Albuquerque, New Mexico, police officer was praised on one of the biggest stages Tuesday, with President Donald Trump recognizing him during his first ever State of the Union address. The president stated the officer Ryan Holets and his wife, Rebecca, "embody the goodness of our nation."

"Last year, Ryan was on duty when he saw a pregnant, homeless woman preparing to inject heroin," Trump told the nation. "When Ryan told her she was going to harm her unborn child, she began to weep. She told him she didn't know where to turn, but badly wanted a safe home for her baby.”

"In that moment, Ryan said he felt God speak to him: 'You will do it -- because you can.' He heard those words,'" Trump said. "He went home to tell his wife Rebecca. In an instant, she agreed to adopt. The Holets named their new daughter Hope."

In 2017, the officer was on patrol when he responded to a call about a convenience store theft when he found a couple, including a pregnant woman, using heroin.

“Are you pregnant? Why are you doing that stuff?” Holets asked the woman, identified as Chrystal Champ. “You are going to kill your baby.”

After she told the officer that addiction was controlling her life, she then also mentioned she was going to put her unborn baby up for adoption. That is when Holets asked if he could adopt the child.

The baby is now 10 weeks old, the couple already had four children of their own.

“It’s changed my perspective forever,” the officer said, according to CNN “I can’t drive anywhere without noticing people that are homeless. I can’t help but notice people that are panhandling. Then I think about everything they’ve gone through.”

Holets was part of the 15 special guests invited by first lady Melania Trump to attend the president's address. He was asked to sit next to the first lady along with his wife, who held their daughter Hope. The entire chamber stood and gave the young family a standing ovation after Trump addressed the couple for their good work. The couple also stood up, nodding and waving to the crowd.

During his address, the president also spoke of the administration's ongoing efforts to curb the growing opioid epidemic, including its declaration as a public health emergency.

"Never before has it been like it is now," Trump said. "It is terrible. We have to do something about it."

Trump in his address told the Congress that in 2016 alone, 64,000 Americans were said to have died of drug overdoses. What Trump said would amount to 174 deaths every day. Since the year 2000, the drug epidemic has killed over 500,000 Americans and the administration has mentioned that opioid abuse remains one of its highest domestic priorities.

"We must get much tough on drug dealers and pushers if we are going to succeed in stopping this scourge," Trump said. "My administration is committed to fighting the drug epidemic and helping get treatment for those in need, for those who've been so terribly hurt. The struggle will be long and it will be difficult -- but, as Americans always do, in the end, we will succeed. We will prevail."