Kenlee Shaw, a Melba Passmore Elementary 4th grader with autism, was having a tough day one time at school. Mrs. Esther McCool did the most surprising thing to comfort her.
In a photo that has now gone viral, the custodian at the school went beyond and above her duty and laid down on the ground to comfort Kenlee. The touching moment happened inside the school cafeteria. The noise got too much for the nine-year-old girl to handle so she dropped to the floor on the stage with a blanket to try to shield herself from the disturbance and her surroundings.
Mrs. Esther saw Kenlee huddled on the floor by herself and instead of just letting her be and walking away, she joined her. She even placed a hand on the girl’s back to comfort her.
Kenlee’s mom Hollie Bellew-Shaw saw the genuine display of compassion and thoughtfulness and uploaded a photo of it on her Facebook.
“Our school custodian is literally the best, sweetest individual in the world. The Hippy wanted no part of being in the cafeteria this morning with all the noise so she laid down w/her blanket on the stage. When Ms. Esther saw her she came and laid next to her and patted her back. All schools should be so lucky to have their own Angel on campus. Feel free to share so she can get all the appreciation & thanks she totally deserves,” Hollie wrote.
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The photo ended up on the Facebook page of Alvin Independent School District where commentators commended Mrs. Esther for her compassion, kindness, and her warm soul. A few faculty members at the school wrote that they are blessed to have Mrs. Esther who always looks out for the students.
“She is so sweet and always comes over and to talks to my kiddos!” wrote one mother, while another said, “Esther is the best!!!! She is amazing and Passmore is so lucky to have her!”
Kenlee’s mom, who works as a teacher’s assistant at Passmore, revealed that her daughter “adores Mrs. Esther because she always greets Kenlee with “kind words and a hug, which is so special to her.”
Kind words and a hug are sometimes all we need to ease our troubles away and comfort us during a tense period in our lives. When we feel scared or in tears, a hug can calm us down and make the feelings all go away.