A woman who took a job as a 911 dispatcher to support her family as a single mom was surprised by her kids and husband reading loving messages as she made her final call before retirement. Hayley Franklin, 51, has given 31 years of service to the Stanly County Communications Center, in Albemarle, North Carolina, and estimates that she took more than 200,000 calls. She was one of the founding members of the center, taking the job as a single mom to support her daughter Kasey, who was three at the time. Hayley worked 12-hour night shifts until Kasey was 10 years old, guiding callers through some of the scariest moments of their lives. Today, Hayley is married and has two daughters, and when she told her superior that she was planning to retire from the role, he reached out to the family to plan a special surprise. The group decided the family would be on Hayley's final sign-off call, reading out loving messages and stating how proud they were of their mom and wife. Kasey, 34, lives away from home in Raleigh and dialed in from her local state emergency operations center, while daughter Tayler, 22, headed to the police department of Western Carolina University, where she is studying. Then, on October 30, a member of staff at Hayley's center started recording as the 51-year-old took her final call. After initially receiving thank-yous from members of staff, the next call to come in said “this is your first born,” before Kasey read out her message, talking about her mom’s service before saying “now it’s your turn to rest, to taste your own adventures, and to find peace in the stillness you gave to so many others.” Following Kasey’s tearful “I love you,” Tayler read out her message from her university, joking that her mom’s service had been longer than she had been alive before stating how admired she is. Lastly, Hayley’s husband, Michael, 51, read out his message, mentioning how proud he was of his wife’s accomplishments in a challenging career.
00:00For 30 years, she was the calm voice in the middle of emergencies.
00:04But her final call before retirement would break her.
00:14Dispatcher Haley has answered more than 200,000 calls and saved countless lives, winning awards for her service.
00:30But just before she was about to sign off for the final time, some familiar voices came over the radio.
00:38To know six, this is your firstborn.
00:41For over 30 years, your voice guided strangers through their darkest hours.
00:46Your heart carried the weight of a thousand stories, and your strength never wavered.
00:50Now it's your turn to rest, to chase your own adventures, and to find peace in the stillness you gave to so many others.
00:57Happy retirement, Mama. I love you.
01:00Woo!
01:02This is Daly Jones, Western Carolina University, please. Go ahead, what's your driver?
01:10This is your secondborn.
01:12Doing anything for 30 years is beyond impression, and that's quite a bit longer than I've even been alive.
01:19Doing something for 30 years, it requires as much patience, compassion, intelligence, strength, and dedication as did fashion, and else entirely.
01:27I only hope that I can follow four footsteps and live up to the standards you have set by leading a career that is as fulfilling and meaningful as the years has been.
01:35Happy retirement.
01:36After her two daughters, Haley's retired police officer husband, Michael, came on the line.
01:43Congratulations, hon. You made it.
01:46I'm so proud of all of your accomplishments.
01:49You worked a stressful and challenging career, but you always kept your family first.
01:55You loved us, cared for us, and supported us no matter what.
02:00After that, we are forever grateful.
02:03I'm excited for the next chapter of our lives.
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