A photo of a school custodian comforting a young girl with autism is going viral, with thousands of people touched by their sweet relationship.
Last week, fourth grader Kenlee was having a rough morning, overwhelmed by the stimuli in the cafeteria at Passmore Elementary in Alvin, Texas.
When she laid down on the floor with her blanket wrapped around her, school custodian Ms. Esther came over to join her, laying to right next to her.
Heartwarming: A photo of a school custodian comforting a young girl with autism is going viral, with thousands of people touched by their sweet relationship
Sweet: Fourth grader Kenlee was overwhelmed by the stimuli in the cafeteria at Passmore Elementary in Alvin, Texas, so she laid down — and Ms. Esther laid right next to her
Kenlee’s mother Hollie Bellew-Shaw, a paraprofessional in special education in the same school, first shared the sweet story on Facebook on September 10.
‘Our school custodian is literally the best, sweetest individual in the world,’ she wrote.
‘[Kenlee] 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.’
Hollie added several emojis of hearts and a puzzle piece, which is the symbol for autism awareness.
In the photo, Kenlee, who is in the school’s autism program, is curled up on the floor with the blanket wrapped tightly around her. Ms. Esther is on her side, facing the little girl, comforting her with one arm and offering a smile.
‘All schools should be so lucky to have their own Angel on campus,’ Hollie, who works for the school district, added.
Spreading the love: Kenlee’s mother Hollie Bellew-Shaw shared the story on Facebook
Good stories: The school district later shared the story as well, and it has gone viral
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Hollie added that Kenlee and Ms. Esther have known each other for about three years.
‘Ms. Esther the custodian here has had a special bond with my daughter,’ she said. ‘Whenever they see each other Kenlee runs to her like she’s seeing her the first time.
‘Ms. Esther always has the biggest hug and kind words for my girl. She holds a piece of our heart for sure.
‘The day of this photo, Kenlee was having an exceptionally difficult morning. She’s always struggled with the noise and busyness of the cafeteria. So she laid down on the stage and covered her head with her blanket.
‘When Ms. Esther passed through she just bee-lined for my girl to comfort her without hesitation or even a second thought to have passed her by.’
‘Ms. Esther always has the biggest hug and kind words for my girl. She holds a piece of our heart for sure,’ Kenlee’s mom Hollie told DailyMail.com
Soon after Hollie shared the snap, the Facebook page for the school district shared the image as well.
‘Sometimes you just need to take a break! When Kenlee, a Passmore Elementary 4th grader, was having a rough day, Mrs. Esther, a custodian at the school, got on the floor with her and just held her,’ read the post.
‘Kenlee’s mother, Hollie Bellew-Shaw, posted this picture on social media to show the compassion and love Alvin ISD employees show to their students.
‘This goes to show you that a kind word, a hug, and a little compassion are all it takes to make a huge difference in a child’s life.’
The posts inspired several other parents with children at the school to chime in and heap praise on Ms. Esther.