Rachel Kiser
Blogger | Mom of Two
Being a helper: it’s something that we try really hard to ingrain in our children from the earliest age.
“That’s my big helper!” We used to say to our toddlers as they assisted us in whatever task we asked them to (even if it wasn’t exactly productive). Teaching our little ones to be cooperative and helpful is certainly an important lesson.
But it’s what you can’t quite teach- the loving heart behind the actions- that leaves us so moved when we see evidence of it.
That is what happened to Andrea Mackey, a mom living in Fulton, New York, when she witnessed a beautiful scene involving her six-year-old son, Jeffrey.
Jeffrey has cerebral palsy, a condition that involves impaired muscle coordination. While playing with a group of family friends at Thunder Island, a water park in New York, he began to tense up and had difficulty walking. As you can see in the video Andrea shared, both of the other children he was with immediately rushed to his side and helped him get along, even holding his hands as he went up the stairs.
They didn’t stop to question if it should be them, or someone else, to help their friend. They saw a need and they filled it (even quicker, and more efficiently, than some adults may have, might I add!).
One of the best parts is that Andrea was only feet away and able to witness the whole thing.
“Whether your kid has a disability or not, you always worry about them. With Jeffrey, I worry a little more; I always have. And that was just affirmation for me that, you know, somebody will always help him,” she told ABC.
“I think there’s just been so much going on in the world right now, I think people needed to see it. I think they saw three tiny hearts do an amazing thing,” Andrea said of the video. “Kids are great. You know those kids are going to grow up to be good adults, and they will always help him, somebody will always have his back. We have a great community, a great support team, so I’m a little less worried today.”
Hopefully this video encourages all of us to just act in situations where we see others in need.
About Rachel Kiser
Rachel is a wife and mother living in Raleigh, North Carolina. She’s a fan of good coffee, wearer of gray t-shirts, and is constantly starting books she will never finish. Her family is her joy, and she loves to engage with other moms and dads on matters of parenting. Her blog posts have also been featured on the Today Show Parenting Blog and Scary Mommy.
View all posts by Rachel Kiser here.
