Natural disasters can bring out the best and the worst in people. Some people will take natural disasters as an opportunity to steal or do other misdeeds under the cloak of turmoil, while others use the opportunity to show that people, at their heart, are good and want to help.
The heroes in these situations come in all shapes and sizes. We have even seen stories of dogs and other pets doing their part to save lives or even just make people affected feel more comfortable. You truly never know who is going to be the person to help. Big, small, old, or young.
The little hero in this story isn't exactly Batman. He doesn't have a batmobile or anything like that, but he does have his trusty tricycle. This story is about Dax Dyer, a young boy who rode around on his tricycle following the recent Tornado in Nashville in attempts to help anyone he could.
Last Tuesday, devastation hit Nashville and central Tennessee when a tornado smashed through those areas, devastating buildings and ruining lives. It was a surprising and tragic event that took the entire state by surprise. In difficult times like these, it can be easy to be discouraged, but what always brings hope is knowing there will be people who go out of their way to help. That's exactly what 3-year-old Dax Dyer did, by driving around on his tricycle looking to see who he could help.
On Friday, Dax's grandmother, Susan Stout Dyer, posted a photo of her grandson riding his tricycle around his neighborhood which was devastated by the tornado. It was his idea to ride his trike around and try to help. Wearing his green dinosaur t-shirt, looking absolutely adorable on his red trike.
When Susan Stout Dyer posted the picture, she included the following caption: “"My grandson Dax, in our subdivision. He told me 'he had to come work to help his neighbors with their broken houses.' He said that's what God wants us to do ... what you can't see, he has his hammer and tools on the back of his trike!"
The tornado left 24 dead, along with massive amounts of property damage. People from all over have come out to support those affected. Even celebrities have joined in to help donate money, but none have been as adorable as Dax. It was his idea to go out and help people. According to his grandmother, when she asked him why he wanted to go out and help people, he said, “'because that's what God wants us to do, help our neighbors!'"
Dax's picture quickly went viral, which should be no surprise. There was an outpouring of love for Dax on the internet. People were praising his good heart, as well as the way he was so aware of treating others with compassion. His grandmother was taking care of him on that day, and for her, she loves doing that kind of activity with him.
Dax's grandmother wasn't surprised by his actions at all. "As a grandparent I try to be very intentional with using the time I spend with him to teach him what love really looks like based on our faith. I wasn't surprised at all because he is a sweet child! Our community has experienced something horrible and something beautiful at the same time. We are broken but we are strong." Who knew so much inspiration could be found in such a tiny package.
