CAMP HILL, Pa. — It takes extraordinary strength to keep putting good out into the world after losing someone you love.
But Sue Esh says her late son, Kyle, inspires her to do so.
"Everywhere we went, people would be drawn to him," said Esh.
Kyle was diagnosed with trisomy 22, a fatal chromosomal disorder, at birth.
"After he was born, they expected him to live 24, 48 hours," said Esh.
But miraculously, Kyle lived 24 years.
"Can't walk, can't talk, can't dress or feed himself," she said. "But still made a big impact."
Some of the last years of Kyle's life were during the pandemic.
"He got a lot harder to take care of and more impatient, probably for lack of being able to express himself," Esh said. "And he liked to go away a lot. So that was our thing. Put him in the car and we would drive."
And on one of those drives, Kyle's mother found their purpose.
"It was something growing up that I had wanted to do," said Esh. "My mom would bake cookies, and I always thought it would be fun to bring it to a police department."
This gave Sue and Kyle a destination. And police officers a smile during some difficult times.
What began with stops to departments locally led to a much longer journey.
"Him and I took a trip to Tennessee. We took a week-long trip, took some caretakers along," Esh said. "We lived out of a hotel and visited a few stations then too."
After Kyle passed last November, his mom made the trip again in his memory. She stopped at a police department in each state along the way.
Even now, she visits departments across the area, sharing sweets and gratitude. Most recently, she stopped by the Camp Hill Police Department.
"This is the second time she's brought baked goods over, and she's done this for many other agencies too, in honor of Kyle," said Camp Hill Police Chief Stephen Margeson. "It's heartwarming for police officers."
Esh says she's ensuring Kyle's Kindness is never forgotten.
"Since he's not here, it's just been a nice thing to do in his honor," she said. "I miss him all the time.. but doing that, it helps."
And the Kindness 4 Kyle movement is bringing out generosity across the community. Esh says the treats she gives out are donated by local businesses.
To learn more about Kyle's story, head here.