Bus Driver Builds Ramp For Girl in Wheelchair
Bus Driver Went Out of His Way to Build a Ramp For a Girl on His Route in a Wheelchair
I'm so proud of my husband!! Tom Mitchell, my hubby, is a mechanic for our school system and is sometimes asked to drive bus routes. About 2 months ago, he was driving a special needs route that he had driven a couple of times. Each time he noticed this one mother would have to bring her daughter, who is in a wheelchair, up and down about 3 or 4 steps anytime they would leave or enter the house. He could see how difficult it was for this mom to maneuver her daughter and her wheelchair on the small landing in front of her apartment, and he didn't feel the temporary aluminum detachable ramps were long enough or sturdy enough to be considered safe. This really made my husband uneasy and concerned. He wanted to do something to help this little family out and to make sure they had a safer ramp and one that would make going up and down safer and easier for both mom and daughter. After making some phone calls and discussing his ideas with some of his co-workers, Anthony Puckett & Mike Greene, they came up with a plan. Tom got in touch with David Adams at the Lowes on Lowes Dr. Mr. Adams was able to work some charitable magic and donate all of the wood needed to make this family a deck and ramp. Today, Tom, Anthony and Anthony's son Nick along with Anthony's brother Randell, & Mike met up at the families house and they completely built the deck and ramp. All on their own time, with their own tools, and all out of the kindness of their own hearts!!! I know these guys didn't do it for a pat on the back or for any recognition what-so-ever....but I can't help but feel proud to be married to such a kindhearted and giving man! He noticed someone who could've used some help, and without being asked, he did something about it! Even his friends/co-workers and their family got involved because they are kindhearted and caring people as well. In a world where so much hate is being spread around, I just wanted to share that there are still good people out there, doing good deeds, and that humanity still exists!!! ❤❤❤
Posted by Jennifer Mitchell on Sunday, January 15, 2017
Tom Mitchell is a mechanic for his local school district, but also picks up a few bus routes from time to time. While driving a special needs route a couple months ago, Mitchell noticed that one of the girls on the route in a wheelchair had to be brought down a few steps by her mother each morning.
Although they appeared to have detachable metal ramps set up, Mitchell could see how hard it was for the girl's mom to maneuver the chair on the landing in front of the door and felt that the ramps looked unsafe. He knew that he had to do something to help this family out, so he made a few phone calls and made some real life magic happen.
"He wanted to do something to help this family out and to make sure they had a safer ramp and one that would make going up and down safer and easier for both mom and daughter," said Mitchell's wife, Jennifer, in a post to Facebook. "After making some phone calls and discussing his ideas with some of his coworkers, Anthony Puckett and Mike Greene, they came up with a plan."
After getting a local Lowes to pull some strings and donate all of the wood needed to make the ramp, Mitchell and his coworkers went over to the family's house on a Sunday morning and built a new deck with a ramp "on their own time, with their own tools, and all out of the kindness of their own hearts." In her Facebook post, Jennifer shared a video of photos showing the process, the lovely finished product, and the excited faces on both the girl and her mother.
"I know these guys didn't do it for a pat on the back or for any recognition whatsoever, but I can't help but feel proud to be married to such a kindhearted and giving man!" Jennifer said. "He noticed someone who could've used some help, and without being asked, he did something about it! . . . In a world where so much hate is being spread around, I just wanted to share that there are still good people out there, doing good deeds, and that humanity still exists!!!"