A little act of kindness can certainly go a long way.
Police Officer Perry Renn was killed on duty, and to honor his bravery and loyalty, his squad car outside the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department or IMPD has become a memorial where people can pay tribute to a man who did not hesitate to lay his life on the line just to protect the community.
Within a couple of days since the officer died, Beech Grove couple Jason and Jennifer Fedeler decided to pay their respect to the heroic deed of Officer Renn. Although unsure if it is appropriate for them to tag their three-year-old McKenzie along, the couple realized it was a chance for her to learn more about what life is about.
Jennifer asked her daughter to get her favorite toy in her room. McKenzie chose to bring a brown teddy bear among all of her beloved stuffed toys. With the bear clutched in hand, McKenzie went to the squad car along with her parents to pay their respect to the fallen officer.
“I woke up and I was, like, ‘I really think we should go there’,” Jennifer shared with RTV 6 in an interview. “We were talking about going but we were, like, ‘Is it appropriate to take her?’.”
Upon arriving at the squad car, the little girl went and placed her favorite toy on the hood. It was a simple act of kindness, and nobody expected that the young girl’s tribute to the officer will create such a huge impact on others.
On the day of the officer’s funeral, the Fedeler couple stood in line along with other people who wanted to pay respect to the man. Around 4:15 P.M., the couple welcomed an unexpected visitor who decided to stop by at their home.
The person who visited them was Police Officer Lance Rector, who arrived with tokens that he meant to give to little McKenzie. Just like the toddler, Officer Rector was bringing a similar teddy bear. According to him, it was also his favorite toy and that he would like for Mckenzie to have it.
Aside from the stuffed bear, Officer Rector also gave the child a patch badge off of his old uniform and his white carnation and special memorial coin from Officer Renn’s funeral. Those things meant a lot to Officer Rector and he gave them to little McKenzie because he appreciated her small yet meaningful gesture.
Jennifer got teary-eyed as she shared how touched their family was when the officer visited their home to let them know about how he felt with McKenzie’s kind gesture.
She and her husband plan to put all of McKenzie’s gifts from Officer Rector in a shadow box to preserve them and what they represent.
“When you go out of your way to recognize things and you got a way to show appreciation for things that people do then it comes back to you,” Jason further shared.
McKenzie’s Dad, currently a sergeant at the Department of Corrections, was deeply inspired by what Officer Rector did and it motivated him even more to achieve his goal of becoming a patrol officer. His child’s small gesture definitely made an impact that resonated in the lives of many, including his.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
