Some stories break your heart — and change you forever.

Six-year-old Corey Micciolo from New Jersey should have been playing, laughing, and dreaming like any child his age. Instead, in April 2021, he lost his life in circumstances no parent should ever have to imagine. His father, Christopher Gregor, is now standing trial, accused of years of unthinkable abuse that ended in tragedy.

Surveillance footage shown in court revealed the horror. Corey is seen struggling to run on a treadmill — falling, crying, and being placed back on it again. At one point, Gregor appears to bite the little boy’s head as he forces him to continue. Twelve days later, Corey was gone. Doctors later discovered severe internal injuries and signs of chronic trauma.

His mother, Breanna Micciolo, sat through the painful footage in court, wiping away tears. After her son’s death, she created a Facebook page called Justice for Corey, writing, “He was only six when his life was taken by someone who was supposed to love him. We will not stop until justice is served.”

Today, her courage carries his memory — a reminder that love doesn’t end when a heartbeat does. It becomes a mission for truth.