One police officer went the extra mile to be with a grieving young man on his graduation day.

Kazzie Portie of Orange, Texas was less than a week away from his high school graduation when he learned some devastating news, The Huffington Post reports.

The 18-year-old’s parents had both passed away in a car crash, and police officer Eric Ellison was the one to tell him the news. When Portie was conflicted about attending graduation, Ellison helped to change his mind.

“I said, ‘You are going to walk!'” Ellison told BuzzFeed News. “Your mom and dad will have front-row seats looking down from heaven, and I’ll stand in their place. I’ve got your back.”

Portie got a hug from Ellison on stage in front of a cheering audience. He said the gesture meant the world to him.