Many people think of cops as heroes, but Officer Shawn Birdsong is getting recognition for going far above and beyond the call of duty.
Birdsong was carrying out a routine traffic stop in August when he pulled over Matthew Manley — according to
FOX 2 Manley had forgotten to switch over his license plates to a new vehicle. While issuing the ticket in Missouri, Birdsong noticed Manley's 5-year-old niece in the car. The young girl was bald, a result of her daily chemo treatments to help fight off her cancer.
Officer Birdsong went into his trunk and pulled out a backpack filled with "clothes, art supplies and stuffed animals," according to FOX2. The officer also included a note that said "Hope you get to feeling better soon!!"
Birdsong had the backpack in his trunk thanks to
Project Backpack St. Louis, an organization aimed at providing emergency responders with backpacks containing necessities for battered or traumatized children.
St. Louis isn't the only city providing this service for its kids. Local news outlets like
KXAN Austin and the
Burnley Express have confirmed that both the U.S. and the U.K. have "trauma teddy" programs which have outfitted police, firefighters and EMTs with teddy bears in hopes of comforting children who may have experienced an emotionally shocking experience.
During trying times, the smallest gestures can make the biggest difference. "It meant the world to us," Dana Manley, the little girl's aunt, told the Huffington Post.
According to the Project Backpack website, more than 250 backpacks are distributed to police officers each month in St. Louis.
After the incident, FOX2 reported that Officer Birdsong called to check up on the little girl "3 or 4 times," according to Dana Manley.
"He just made this little girl’s day a little better, and that’s what matters."
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