A preschooler at Lowman Hill Elementary School is having a much more joyful Christmas than her family expected, thanks to a sympathetic fellow Topekan.
Four-year-old Kaylee Diaz had been looking forward to finding some presents under the tree, including toy horses. But the work of a Grinch threatened to ruin Christmas morning. Her mother said several toys for Kaylee were in her uncle's truck when it was reportedly stolen Dec. 16 from the Buffalo Wild Wings parking lot.
Upset that someone could be so unkind, Kaylee told her preschool teacher, Lisa Chapas.
"She was really sad. She seemed distraught that there were things going on that she was trying process," Chapas said of the child.
Chapas planned to replace Kaylee's book bag, which was also lost in the theft. But when she mentioned the situation to a custodial worker at the school, he felt compelled to go a step further.
Charles Murray, night sweeper at Lowman Hill Elementary, has very little interaction with students while doing his work at the school. But he said when he heard from Chapas what had happened to Kaylee's presents, a personal experience prompted him to want to intervene.
Murray said that when he was a child growing up in Battle Creek, Mich., someone stole Christmas presents from his home. He said that because his family couldn't afford to replace the stolen gifts, he received no presents that year.
"I know how I felt, and I didn't want any other child to go feeling the way that I felt when that happened," Murray said. "It really broke my heart to hear about it. Every kid deserves to have presents at Christmas time. So when her teacher told me about what had happened, I said, 'Let's see what we can do about it.' "
Murray coordinated with Chapas to pick out a few gifts that Kaylee would like. He delivered the gifts to the teacher while all the students were out of the classroom. The teacher then presented the gifts to Kaylee and her father.
"It was the kindest thing I've ever seen," Chapas said. "(Murray) doesn't even know the child, but he just wanted to help. He said that nobody shouldn't have a Christmas."
The gifts were greatly appreciated by Kaylee's mother, Lorena Reyes.
"She was really happy because they gave her things that she loves, like toy horses," Reyes said. "I'm really happy because Kaylee is getting back something that she lost.
"I'm thankful for the school and for having people there who are worried about Kaylee and care about her. We will be happy at Christmas because they were so generous to help."
Murray said the memory of having his presents stolen when he was a child has been a lifelong reminder of how impactful generosity can be.
"A lot of times we get caught up in thinking, 'What am I going to get for Christmas?' " Murray said. "We should think more, 'What can I do for other people to help them out so that they can have a great Christmas?' "
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