Our disabled community has been rocked by a noble act of heroism by local varsity cheerleader Kaeleigh Winters. Apparently she spoke to our very own autistic kid, Maddie Peterson, for approximately one minute. Details from the full conversation have yet to be verified, but we can confirm that “hello” was said.
“It was so inspiring,” said Jamie Jackson, a fellow student. “The whole cafeteria saw it. We all wanted to get up and join her too.”
Jackson confirmed, however, that no one actually did.
After Winters’s big push for disability rights in the cafeteria, her fellow cheerleaders began to chant “KINDNESS MATTERS.” Now the school’s Facebook page has been flooded with photos of the incident along with the hashtags #KindnessMatters and #KaeleighKares.
When asked for comment, Winters said, “I didn’t do it for attention. I did it for Maddie. She deserves to be talked to just like everybody else.” Students have started circulating a petition to give Winters the “Outstanding Community Leader” award at graduation.
Winters’s kindness has sparked a wave of students saying hi to Peterson at lunch. Unfortunately, they’re always too busy to say anything else. While Peterson hasn’t reported any new friends, she has confirmed that old ones have distanced themselves in an attempt to remain untouched by the “kindness army.”