Fallen Police Officer’s Daughter Is Set to Start Kindergarten – But She Wasn’t the Only One Who Showed Up at School
The five-year-old whose police officer dad died months earlier, got a back-to-school welcome from his department.
As Anna Stolinsky got ready for her first day at a new school, 20 motorcycles and five police cars drove up to her home with their sirens on.
Members of the La Vergne Police Department in Tennessee were there to escort the 5-year-old to school, in place of her father Detective Sergeant Kevin Stolinsky, 44, who died of a heart attack months earlier while at work.
I was reading a book and went to tell my Nana, ‘The policemen are here!’
Anna Stolinksy to TODAY
Why Tennessee Police Officers Escorted a Little Girl to School
Anna’s mom, Casey Stolinsky, knew the officers were coming, as her brother-in-law, who works in the police department, had asked her permission.
The family all piled into Lieutenant David Durham’s squad car to head to Lancaster Christian Academy in Smyrna.
RELATED: Fallen Sheriff’s Son Loses Auction For Father’s Old Car — Then The Most Unexpected Thing Happens
“He was the one who drove us to the hospital the night we got the call (about Kevin),” Casey told TODAY. “I sat in that same seat.”
When they pulled up to the school, a large group of lined up officers welcomed Anna. Anna high-fived each one, and she got a hug from Officer Travis Wilson, who administered CPR to her father on the night he died.
Afterward, Casey and Anna’s uncle walked her to class.
The officers said they were just doing what Sergeant Stolinsky would have done.
He was doing what he loved. He was supporting families of police officers. He was encouraging families of police officers. That’s the family business.
David Stolinsky told Daily News Journal
Casey said the school greeting was “amazing,” and honored Anna’s “favorite daddy in the whole wide world.”
Losing a parent is tough for anyone, but it’s especially hard when you’re a little child. While Anna has lost her father, thanks to his department, she knows she’s not alone.
KEEP READING:
Fallen Officer’s Car Is Covered with Flowers and Flags – But One Note Leaves Everyone in Tears
