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Williamsburg Police take action to help woman and terminally ill daughter

Posted at 6:16 PM, Sep 20, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-20 21:09:50-04

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — The Williamsburg Police Department is taking action with a small act of kindness.

A simple act of kindness can brighten someone’s day, but when the days are coming to an end, a small gesture to show you care can mean the world.

Officer Aundrea Holiday could have been anywhere in her free time, but Friday she chose to be with Jean Wreitmeyer and Wreitmeyer's daughter, Vanna.

Wreitmeyer and Vanna area in the middle of difficult days. Vanna recently found out she has a rare neurological disorder called Corticobasal Degeneration.

Vanna is losing her motor skills and is now in hospice care at home.

“I could tell it was just really, really heavy on her heart,” explained Holiday.

Office Holiday says she wanted to make a difference any way she could.

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“There’s nothing I can do about what’s going on with Vanna, but I thought you know, she was saying how she wanted the yard cleaned up,” explained Holiday.

For two and a half hours, Holiday and a couple of her colleagues from the Williamsburg Police Department cleaned out their yard. They raked leaves, removed bulk-trash and brought in new flowers for the garden.

“She wanted to make a little pretty place for Vanna to look out and see flowers— you know, just kind of put a smile on her face,” says Holiday.

Yard work is not part of Officer Holiday’s job description, but that’s not how she sees it.

“We care about the people that we are here to serve, protect. We care about the people where we live and work, so honestly, it’s just common human decency.”

Holiday says this won’t be the last visit she makes to Wreitmeyer.

“We’ve got some ideas about bringing some more flowers out and we’ll be back. This isn’t the end.”