Educators are vital pillars of our community, yet their contributions are often underestimated. It takes a special person to dedicate themselves to teaching, mentoring and motivating young minds.
Jonathan Oliver, a physical education teacher at WG Nunn Elementary in Valdosta, Georgia, is one example of this commitment. He recently earned recognition for a touching moment of kindness during a children’s basketball game.
When kindergarten teacher Kristen Paulk asked for help with her ponytail, Oliver didn’t hesitate. He knelt on a basketball to be at eye level with her and carefully tied her pigtails to make sure her hair didn’t fall into her face. This tender gesture, captured on video, was shared on YouTube by Kandice Anderson, a fellow teacher
The video, aptly titled “When Your Job Goes Beyond Teaching!” quickly went viral and captured the hearts of many. It eventually caught the attention of Good Morning America, which interviewed the 34-year-old father of three.
“I was surprised by the attention because that’s exactly what we do,” Oliver told Good Morning America, unaware of the recording. “We want students to feel at home and loved. For me, wearing a ponytail just helped.”
Oliver mentioned that while Kristen’s request was for a ponytail, his hairstyling expertise was otherwise quite limited. “If she had asked for something else, I would have said, ‘You better ask your mom,’” he joked.
Kristen’s mother, Miyah Cleckley, expressed her appreciation for Oliver’s gesture. “I always know that Kristen is in excellent hands with him. It was especially touching because my husband helps us a lot with our daughters’ hair, as we have five girls and a son.”
There are many stories of teachers going the extra mile, and Jonathan Oliver’s story is a beautiful example of everyday heroes in education.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this touching story, share them in the comments!
Baby rescued from a fire finds a loving home seven years later, after suffering severe burns from the apartment blaze
When a fire swept through the apartment where Deyvion slept as a baby in his bassinet, he was miraculously rescued by firefighters. Although he survived, the blaze left him with severe burns on his face.
This resilient little boy from Missouri embarked on a difficult recovery journey at a specialized burns unit, fighting to regain his health against the odds. Remarkably, he faced this challenge without the support of a family by his side.
At the age of five, everything changed for Deyvion when he became the foster child of Beth Plunkett, a single mother of two. “He was such a beautiful little boy, and I fell in love with him immediately”, Beth recalled, as reported by WGN9 News. “I often hear people say: ‘Oh, he’s so lucky to have you’, but honestly, I feel just as lucky to have him”, she added.
After spending 2,545 days without a family, Deyvion was finally adopted by Beth. “My biggest wish for him is to be happy and to always feel loved. I want him to set goals and achieve great things, and I have no doubt he will. God has an amazing plan for him”, she said.
In addition to his new mom and siblings, Deyvion has also captured the hearts of the firefighters who saved him. Deputy Chief Eric Smith of the South Metro Fire Department in Raymore and his team still remember the night they rescued this remarkable boy.
On the day of Deyvion’s adoption, Smith and his crew presented him with a special jacket and hat made just for him. They also treated Deyvion and Beth to a ride in their fire truck to the courthouse, where his adoption was finalized.
As they celebrated, Smith gave Deyvion a high five and expressed his pride in the young boy, stating: “He’s incredibly special. While we may not always understand why things happen, we certainly do now”.
Deyvion is surrounded by love, having shown immense courage throughout his journey. This brave and endearing boy truly deserves every bit of happiness. His story is one we all need to hear, a testament to love and compassion. Let’s spread the word about this inspiring little boy and shower him with even more love!
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