Davison, a kindergarten student at Johnston Charter Academy, spurred into action when she noticed a child was in need of comfort while Clayton Police Department (CPD) and Clayton Fire Department (CFD) arrived on scene at the crash. CFD shared that while their crew was working the scene of the accident, Davison helped comfort the young boy involved in the accident by giving him her coat and one of her stuffed toys.
CPD and CFD felt this sort of selfless service deserved recognition. Since she gave away her stuffed monkey, they replaced it with a Chaney’s Champions stuffed bear. The “Chaney Bears” are used to help bring comfort to children in need and provide opportunities to pay kindness forward, which embodies the mission of Chaney’s Champions to #ChampionOn with small tokens of kindness.
"It was remarkable to see one of our Junior Bobcats putting Moral Focus into action in our community and in such a meaningful manner," said Kerry Chisnall, principal at Johnston Charter Academy. "She is such a positive young lady and it was fabulous to see her heart and mind in action when she took the initiative to comfort the accident victim."
Mark Morris, CFD fire battalion chief, and Tyler Greene, CFD firefighter, visited with Davison and her family on Oct. 13 to recognize her for her courageous and selfless act.
“Not only as a Police Chief but as a citizen, it is wonderful to see selfless service in others; young or old,” shared Blair Myhand, chief of Clayton Police Department. “However, when a young person like Nevaeh does something so selfless for someone else in a crisis with zero expectation of reward, it really warms the heart. Children are innocent and commonly do things for others that should feel natural for all of us to do. It reminds of us adults of how we should act toward each other.”
By using these virtues, it makes the school a safe, caring place to learn and grow. Outside the classroom, it reinforces the strong moral values that help children interact with their friends, families, and communities with respect and care. Davison did just that!
Myhand explained that Nevaeh did the hard work, and what they did was the easy part. “She was the one who was selfless and courageous in the face of crisis. How could we not reward her for demonstrating exceptional character? We want her to know that what she did is uncommon and commendable,” he shared. “We wanted to encourage her to do it more often and lead others to do the same through her example. We want others to see that her simple selfless act was far beyond her years and that anyone can do anything for someone else. Putting others before self is how we should all be living.”
The Clayton Police Department hopes that Nevaeh’s actions and their subsequent recognition of her actions encourages others to do the same.
