Mom Worried When Her Son, 6, Didn’t Exit School When the Fire Alarm Rang. Then, She Was Surprised to See Where He Went (Exclusive)

A Michigan-based mom had a big scare at her son’s school until she realized he was with his “guardian angel.”

Kennedy Stephenson’s morning started just like any other, but shortly after dropping her son, CJ, 6, whom she shares with husband Carees Stephenson, off at school, she heard the fire alarm ring. After waiting for a while, she noticed her son hadn’t exited the building yet, causing her to worry.

“My son has an alternative plan in the mornings because of his behavior, so I wasn’t surprised he didn’t come out with the other kids. I did expect him to come out quicker than he did though!” she tells PEOPLE. “He had just walked through the door when the alarm began, so I expected him to come out quickly with his aide.

“When the entire gym had emptied of the kids, and my son hadn’t come out [yet], I began to worry that he was lost and/or confused in there without an adult to support him,” adds Stephenson, a 26-year-old mom of two. “It was a matter of minutes, but [it] felt so long, and I debated if I should get out and run in myself!”

Before Stephenson took any further action, her son emerged from the school building alongside a woman whom the doting mom describes as his “guardian angel.” She captured the stress-relieving moment in her TikTok, showing her son walking out of the building holding the hand of his former kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Taylor.

Stephenson tells PEOPLE that in that moment, she “just smiled and laughed” to herself. She adds that despite no longer being her official student anymore, she always shows up “right on time” and when he needs her.

“She has absolutely been our son’s biggest advocate, even when his behaviors could be disruptive to her classroom,” Stephenson says, referring to Mrs. Taylor. “She spotted me in the road, waved to me to indicate that he was all good, and held his hand as she directed people around, creating order in the chaos — as she always does.”

The proud mom adds, “I knew he was in good hands, and I was relieved she was there right on time.”

Typically, in the morning, Stephenson’s son, who is level one on the autism spectrum, waits in the office for his aide to arrive. However, in the midst of the fire alarm going off, she was worried that he had run or was lost in the chaos.

“The adults clearly had bigger things to take care of, and he could easily be left behind and unable to comprehend what to do,” she explains. “His kindergarten teacher has a classroom pretty close to the office, so she had seen him as she was going to find the other kids and get out of the building herself. She saw he was alone and grabbed his hand and brought him out!”

This isn’t the first time CJ’s “guardian angel” has stepped in to help him. Stephenson says she has been there for him since he entered the school. Noting that CJ joined their family three months before starting school, Stephenson explains that they were still trying to learn his behavior.

They were still on the waitlists for different tests as CJ entered kindergarten. Stephenson shares that seeing her son’s behavior in the beginning was “really difficult” because she and her husband “didn’t know what more we could do to help.” However, Mrs. Taylor jumped into action.

“His teacher implemented a rewards system for him right away. She met with us as parents to discuss our concerns and hopes and goals. She emailed me literally daily about what was going on in the classroom,” she shares. “She advocated for him to get an IEP as quickly as possible, and she pushed for the school to make accommodations for him, like having an aide.”

“She stood up for him and never gave up on him, even when he was such a handful. He was being suspended weekly, and she got him into a much more stable place where the suspensions stopped and he was even building relationships with other kids,” she continues. “She has been one of the first stable adult figures in his life outside of family, and I am so thankful for that.”

The proud mom tells PEOPLE that her son, who came to them from Jamaica, didn’t have the same stability and safety as he does now. Because of that, she adds that she “prayed long and hard” with for the right teacher for her son.

“Stability and safety is important for every child, but especially kids with autism, and he never had that,” she says, referring to her son’s life before joining their family. “I prayed long and hard over whoever his teacher would end up being, and she was absolutely a gift from God.”

“She met us where we were at and was so gracious with us,” Stephenson continues. “She made sure he didn’t fall through the cracks like so many can. CJ is level 1 on the autism spectrum and sometimes his behaviors just seem inappropriate or like he is purposefully defiant, but we knew that wasn’t true of him. We see so much more in him, and she saw it too.”

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Looking back on his growth since kindergarten, Stephenson tells PEOPLE that he’s in “an entirely different place,” giving thanks to Mrs. Taylor for all the work she put in to make that happen.

“He is in an entirely different place this year in first grade, and we owe her for so much of that growth.”

Above all, Stephenson explains that when parents send their children to school their biggest wish is to have someone there they can trust with their kids. The doting mom shares that she’s “so blessed” by the adults in her son’s school, especially Mrs. Taylor.

“When anyone sends their child to a public school, you just have to hope and trust that the adults in that building love your child as much as you do,” Stephenson shares with PEOPLE. “It can be really scary for any parent, but especially when your child has special needs. We have been so blessed by all the adults at my son’s school, but his kindergarten teacher will always hold a special place in our hearts!”