HOUSTON – Parents of Travis Elementary School have come together to help a beloved school crossing guard in his time of need.
John Davis, known by many as “Mr. Davis” has stood outside Travis Elementary just about every school day for more than a decade. After suffering from a serious medical emergency last week, the community has put together to help Davis and his family in his recovery.
Mr. Davis changed lives every time he crossed the street. Even with dozens of students coming through, he made each one, even parents feel special.
“Mr. Davis (is) the most beautiful, kind soul,” said Cindy Giesen, a Travis Elementary School parent.
Davis is known most for his welcoming smile and thoughtful demeanor. Parents said he took every chance every morning to bring joy and encouragement.
“He is an angel on Earth. He has taught me so many valuable lessons, such as, it doesn’t matter where you are; you can make a difference,” Giesen said. “Using his gift of connecting with people, he would greet parents and students, making them smile.”
“‘You’re doing good?’ ‘Hey! I’m so glad it’s Friday!’” Giesen said as she smiled.
She said Davis teaches students humanity.
“He saw people. He really saw them,” Giesen said.
Giesen’s 12-year-old son, William, who is a 5th grader at Travis, knows Mr. Davis very well.
“I was struggling to get along with a lot of my classmates. I didn’t want to go to school,” William said. “It was really hard and this man -- he told me to keep going and to hold my head up high and that everything was going to be okay -- and that really meant a lot.”
Mr. Davis never fails to reassure and remind people to have faith.
“‘Tomorrow’s gonna be better.’ [Davis would say] ‘Hey mama, don’t worry about him. He’s going to be okay!’” Giesen said.
However, last week, Mr. Davis suffered from a serious medical emergency and Giesen said Davis at the hospital fighting to recovery.
“Doing everything we can,” Giesen said.
Andrea French, Travis Elementary PTA President, worked to set up a GoFundMe page to help Davis and his family with medical bills. Giesen did not hesitate to share.
“We love [Mr. Davis], and he needs our support,” Giesen said. “He has been nothing but goodness.”
“He makes my life so much brighter every day. It means a lot to me and the whole community,” William said.
GoFundMe Page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/we-love-mr-davis?utm_campaign=p_cp_url&utm_medium=os&utm_source=customer