Giacomo “Jack” Campione, a 55-year-old with severe cognitive disabilities, was dressed in a clown costume to celebrate Halloween on Friday when he was inadvertently separated from residents and staff of his group home.
As he exited the Q13 bus in Flushing, Queens, a crowd overtook him, leaving his aides and family to confront a frantic two-day search.
Thankfully, all involved could breathe a sigh of relief two days later, when Jack re-emerged among the onlookers at the New York City Marathon in the area where runners passed through Queens Plaza. He was found over seven miles away from where he disappeared.
“How do you survive in New York City for two days with no food, no medication, nothing to drink?” said his sister, Giselle Campione, according to CBS. “If it wasn't for the community, I don't know if Jack would be here right now.”
Her brother spent two nights sleeping on sidewalks, surviving on Halloween candy by saying “trick-or-treat” to strangers.
Jack was seen falling on his face at the marathon; when he was helped up, police were called, leading to his reunion with his family soon thereafter.
Though the family is beyond grateful he was eventually found, they are not surprised it took as long as it did. They believe Jack was likely mistaken for a drunk or homeless person on multiple occasions.
Regardless, Jack is now back at home where he belongs.
“He is a winner because somebody in New York had heart,” said Erin Daly-Spano, a special advocate for missing disabled people with Hope Alive 845.
The good Samaritan has yet been identified, though it is suspected to be one of the runners. Their actions serve as a reminder not to blindly ignore troubling sights when out and about. Your decision just may make a crucial difference in someone else’s life.