Students raise funds to help their crossing guard

His name is Fetene Yezengaw. For the past ten years, he's stood at the corner of E. 8th St. and Harvard St. in Houston, Texas, helping boys and girls get to and from Harvard Elementary School. He's known for his happy smiles and love for kids. A few have noticed that he walks with a limp, because of his prosthetic leg. He grew up in Ethiopia, where government forces made him a child soldier at age 15. Two years later, he stepped on a landmine and lost his leg. Then he survived 12 years in refugee camps in Kenya and Uganda before coming to the United States. Maybe that's why he says, "Every time I see a kid, I just want to see the kid smile." Students say Fetene makes them laugh.

                                                                                                                  Screenshot / ABC13
When students at Harvard Elementary learned that his leg needs repair, and he has other health problems, they did two things. They organized a bake sale, and then they created a GoFundMe account for him. So far, they have raised over $8,000 to cover his medical expenses. Knowing the community stands behind him means the world to Fetene. "It makes me cry," he says.