The Coronavirus has played spoilt sport for millions of people in lockdown, but the ones who are most upset are little children who are not able to understand what is happening around them.
Highlands Elementary School student Hayes Helvey was heartbroken about not being able to celebrate her 10th birthday at school with her friends because of the current situation. But thankfully a few Mission police officers made it a little more special for her.
Hayes’ mom, Jennifer Helvey, reached out to Mission police officer Jay Fleer, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer at Highlands to see if he could make an appearance for Hayes’ birthday, March 26. So Fleer came along with some of his partners to the Helvey household to sing her “Happy Birthday” over the PA system on their police vehicles.
“Our top priority is taking care of people,” Fleer said. “If that means we go and sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to help a little girl have a better day, then that’s what it takes.”
As for Hayes, who was a little giggly and embarrassed about it, told her mom that “that was so cool,” Jennifer said. The now 10-year-old knows about the pandemic and is being a good sport about not being able to celebrate her birthday.
Watch: Police Officers Bring Joy To Little Girl On Her Birthday
Our Mission Police heard that a certain young resident was feeling a little blue about her birthday happening during the Stay at Home Order. Never fear, your friends are still here, and they have a little song for you… pic.twitter.com/clJMfJyqi8
— City of Mission, KS (@CityofMissionKS) March 26, 2020
Jennifer said the D.A.R.E. officer constantly “goes above and beyond” for Highlands students, and that’s the reason why she wouldn’t have been surprised with anything he did. It warmed her heart for the happiness Fleer and the other officers gave her daughter — and at a time like this, it doesn’t go unnoticed, she added.
“It’s huge that they took time out of their busy schedules, they have a lot going on right now,” Jennifer said. “It’s business as usual or even busier for them right now given everything that’s going on, and Officer Fleer didn’t even hesitate when I asked him.”