Have you ever been at the end of your rope at the end of a long day running around town with a cranky toddler in tow? If you’re a parent, chances are better than good, you’ve been there. Liberty Fongheiser of Cleveland found herself in that predicament recently and she credits a Cornelia Police officer with saving the day…and her sanity.
In a post to Now Habersham’s Facebook page, Liberty tells how she was struggling to get her fussy daughter Kelsi back into her carseat at the Race Trac in Cornelia when an officer approached and began talking with Kelsi. “Well, he walked off so I wrestled her back into her carseat and closed the door,” Fongheiser writes. “When I turned around, the officer reapproached our vehicle, this time with a little yellow bear for Kelsi.”
Fongheiser was so struck by the officer’s kind gesture she wanted to give him a shout out, and so do we.
Liberty wasn’t sure of the officer’s name so we did a little digging. We contacted the Cornelia Police Department and it turns out it was Cornelia Police Officer Paul Cheseboro. Cornelia Police Chief Chad Smith says it doesn’t surprise him. “Paul Chesebro is a fair and caring officer who will go out of his way to assist a child.”
The bear, he says, was one of many donated to CPD by individuals in the community. The stuffed animals are placed in the back of all city patrol cars to be handed out to children in situations where, as Chief Smith explains it, “…our officers feel that a child’s day will be made by receiving one.”
It sure made Kelsi’s day. And her mom’s, too.
Fongheiser says she’s read articles about people “paying it forward” but it’s never happened to her…until now.
“I wanted to thank him for putting a smile on our faces after such a aggravating afternoon…so thank you again Cornelia police department and thank you officer for your thoughtfulness and kindness.”
