It’s hard to imagine how frightening a car crash is unless you’ve experienced it first hand. Concern over the other drivers, worry about insurance and damages, and other factors can just lead to high amounts of stress.
A three car crash was never the best place for a child
Coral Springs Florida was the sight of a frightening car crash between three separate vehicles. While no one was seriously hurt during the accident, it was still a tense and stressful time for everyone involved. Now imagine how this might affect a young child of no more than ten years of age.
The worst part though was that a small boy of elementary school age was in clear distress. That’s when Officer Brian Dougherty stepped in to help.
Officer Dougherty knew he had to act to help calm the poor child down
Officer Dougherty didn’t need any special training to tell what kind of stress the small boy was going through. So when he arrived on the scene he asked the boy to step away from the cars and come with him. You can imagine the look he gave the boy’s parents to let them know that he was there to help.
Well he took that child to a curb and sat down with him. He then talked with the boy asking about his favorite Disney films and characters and just shooting the breeze. The calm and fun conversation helped the boy settle down. Soon, the boy was relaxed and smiling once again. This officer came and saved the day.
But one woman noticed the kind act and wasn’t going to stay quiet about it
Janet Balestriero, one of the women involved in the accident, noticed the kind act. She snapped a photo of the officer with the boy and posted it on her Facebook page.
The message was detailed and clear as day. That she felt inspired by the kindness of the officer in taking the time to help a boy in distress overcome the stressful situation.
After her post went live, it was quickly noticed and shared by thousands of people. The warm reception led to a lot of warm praise online as everyone talked about how kind the officer was for his deed.
One of the more memorable comments was:
“Thank you officer for your act of kindness, although you probably thought nothing of it. Just calming and reassuring a little boy! A compassionate heart you have sir!”
When the Coral Springs PD noticed the online attention, they said…
Coral Springs PD noticed the post going viral and shared that Officer Dougherty was with the police department since 2016. He was a SWAT officer who showed the kindness that the police strive for. They were proud of their officers and said that similar acts happen all the time but are rarely talked about.
Janet Balestriero was more than ready to keep talking about it and did something unexpected
Well fortunately for the Coral Springs PD, Janet Balestriero was part of the “Kindness Rock Projects”. The project collects and decorates rocks to recognize kindness and leaves them out in random places so that everyone can find these hidden treasures and feel inspired by their messages. It’s truly the best weapon against distress.
Well Janet decided to paint one such rock with Dougherty’s badge number and a simple message of kindness and good neighborly habits. She delivered this rock to the Coral Springs PD.
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