A family had no idea how their 3-year-old daughter’s simple act of kindness would warm a community and ultimately the internet world.

Police officer Perry Renn was killed in the line of duty. To honor the fallen officer, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department created a memorial by parking his squad car outside the police station.

It was there for the community to come to pay their respects to the officer who courageously put his life on the line for the people.

After a few days had passed, Jason and Jennifer Fedeler of Beech Grove, Indiana decided they wanted to visit the memorial. Jason felt it was important to show their daughter McKenzie that, as people, you need to show respect to the officers of your community for their dedication to your safety. Even if you don’t know them.

“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?’.”

The parents told little Mckenzie to go upstairs to her collection of stuffed animals and pick one out. She grabbed a classic solid brown teddy bear. With her stuffed animal in hand, the family set out to go visit the memorial.

When they arrived to the station, McKenzie put her bear on the car to pay her respect to Officer Renn. No one had any idea how this simple act of kindness would affect the community.

On the day of the officer’s funeral, the Fedelers were at home as an officer pulled into their driveway. Jennifer was thinking “what is going on?”

Officer Lance Rector came to their door and wanted to repay McKenzie for her kind offering. He had seen the story on the news a couple of days before and was touched. He brought one of his personal stuffed teddy bears and wanted to give it to Mckenzie.

He also brought a patch off of one of his old uniforms, a white carnation and also a commemorative token from the service. It brought a huge smile to Mckenzie’s face, while it brought her mother to tears.

Jennifer teared-up as she shared how touched their family was by the officer when he visited their home to let them know about how he felt with McKenzie’s kind gesture.

“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.

Jennifer and Jason plan to take the items Officer Rector gave, and place them in a shadow box for safe-keeping. They want to have it be a reminder of what they represent.

McKenzie’s Dad was inspired by the events as well. Jason Fedeler is currently a sergeant at the Department of Corrections, and because of what Officer Rector did, it motivated him even more to achieve his goal of becoming a Police officer in Indianapolis.

His child’s small gesture definitely made an impact that resonated in the lives of many, including his own.

It’s something we all can be inspired by. More kindness people. It never hurts.

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Source: RTV 6