Dad saw a freezing 6-yr-old girl walking alone in the bitter cold. He walked her 10 blocks to school for a very special reason
Harsh winters are here; we know the feeling of going out of the home on a cold morning. The slap of winter air on the face, the shock that makes us pull the jacket a little tighter. Now imagine facing that same bitter cold as a six-year-old, without a hat, without gloves, and without an adult on the road to school. That uncomfortable thought became a real moment of concern for one Detroit man on Facebook, Joshua Threatt, 36. He was on Detroit’s west side when he noticed this little girl on a chilly morning, per WXYZ Detroit.
A 6-year-old girl was walking to school alone, in freezing weather, with barely enough clothing to shield her from the cold. Something about the sight stopped him instantly. "She was out here walking by herself. How old are you? Six? Man," he said in the Facebook Live video he recorded while accompanying her.
Threatt later explained that the cold hit him, and then the realization that if he was uncomfortable, she had to be struggling far more. "If I was cold, I definitely know she was cold. She had to be freezing, no doubt," he said. As a father of young children, this struck harder. He couldn’t help but compare her to his own youngest child. "I actually thought about my youngest because my youngest is the same age, and I was like this shouldn't be, like somebody needs to be with her," Threatt said. He decided to walk with her to Thirkell Elementary School, which was around 10 blocks, making sure she reached safely.
And when they reached, he cared enough to explain to the school staff exactly what he saw and why he stepped in. "She's probably scared because she's been walking for about 10 blocks. So many people just pulled up on that little girl. I am so happy I saved her," he said, visibly emotional. The video spread quickly, gathering thousands of views from people moved by the gesture of kindness.
One of the parents at the school, Tiffany Canty, summed up what many felt when she said, "This is heartbreaking completely. We love you, Black king." Later, Threatt spoke to the girl’s father. "We had a good, nice man-to-man talk," he said, keeping the details private but acknowledging the conversation ended respectfully. Authorities later confirmed that Detroit police had been in contact with the family and noted that this was not the first time such an incident had occurred with the child.
Children’s Protective Services has also been alerted. The school district did not respond to requests for comment. The situation has also highlighted a crucial reminder about children’s safety during winter. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children are far more vulnerable to cold temperatures than adults because they cannot regulate their body heat as efficiently as adults. Children can experience a critically low body temperature (i.e., become hypothermic). Severe hypothermia can lead to arrhythmias, an abnormal beating of the heart. It is very important to protect children from extreme cold.
Threatt gave a very important and direct message to all the parents. He said, "You got to make sure the kid's safety is first and foremost before anything." Isn’t that true? A small act of kindness on a cold morning, but one that may have protected a child from real harm and reminded a community what it means to look out for one another.