A boy who was confined to a DeSoto attic by his mother has been reunited with the Johnson County authorities who rescued him.

The Kansas City Star reports that the then 6-year-old boy was discovered in August 2010 severely malnourished and covered with feces and urine after a relative expressed concern about the child, who has Down syndrome.

The boy’s mother had hidden him in the attic. His mother, Rachel Perez, was sentenced to eight years in prison for attempted second-degree murder, child abuse and aggravated child endangerment.

The child, who’s now 13, helped the four officers who rescued him host an anti-bullying program Saturday.

The teen was presented with a plaque designating him an honorary deputy sheriff.