Children near blast site thank first responders

Students at a children’s center near the site of last week’s explosion in Kingsbridge made 30 get-well and thank-you cards for local police officers and firefighters for their work as first responders.

The blast at W. 234th Street and Tibbett Avenue that killed FDNY deputy chief, Michael Fahy, and injured 20 other people occurred just three blocks away from one of the branches of the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center. The branch at W. 231st Street and Tibbett runs day programs for children ages 3 and 4, while another on Kingsbridge Terrace offers afterschool programs for older kids.

The younger children made collages and a big poster,

while the older ones created cards.

“I wanted to cheer up all those people who got hurt and not just let them think about what happened that day,” said 8-year-old Ava.

Her card read: “Dear NYPD, You were risking so much for us. You made sure that this town is safe. I am absolutely so grateful to you risking your life for all of us. You don’t have to do that but you took that risk. Get well soon. XOXO.”

The powerful explosion sent nearby apartment buildings shaking, and a loud sound of the blast reverberated through surrounding blocks. Making the cards also helped the students cope.

“I was just kind of scared for my teacher because she was at the school when it happened,” 9-year-old Jaelynn said, her voice shaking slightly as she recalled the day. “I felt nervous because I didn’t want it to hit my school.”

“I wanted to make the card because I felt scared and worried about what happened on Tuesday,” she said.

Part of her card read: “Thank you for saving us. You are our hero.”

According to Terence Hannigan, director of Manhattan College’s counseling center and health services, writing the cards teaches children about empathy, provides a way for them to discuss their emotions and feel like they are doing something to help in a tragic situation. “It also teaches that life doesn’t go on as usual when a tragedy occurs. We stop and acknowledge the losses,” he wrote in emailed comments.

Marquis, 10, said the children’s “project was to write about what happened on that fateful day.”

“Thank you for being brave during that bad morning,” he wrote in his card. “Thank you for risking your lives for the people of the Bronx, including me.”

“Before I made this card, I felt sad for all of the people who really got hurt and I also feel really proud of myself,” said Ava. “I did the same thing in school but I guess it took two, to actually make me feel better.”

Alyana, 9, said she felt “happier about myself ‘cause I was helping someone.”

“You are my hero,” Alyana’s card read. “Just remember to stay positive and never give up… Thank you for protecting our town.”

The building of the community center is a former location of the 50th precinct house, said the center’s executive director Margaret Della.

The cards were “our way of recognizing our first responders and what they do for us,” she said. “We really wanted to take this opportunity to give thanks to the work of people within our community…and recognize how deeply this can affect people who are first responders and their families.”