Scared 4-yr-old wasn't letting go of his mom on first day of school, so kind bus driver stepped in to make him feel safe
Attending school for the first time is a scary experience for many kids around the world. The whole idea of socializing with unfamiliar faces and being in the presence of unknown people creates a sense of fear in kids. 4-year-old Axel Johnson's case was no different when he was supposed to board the school bus on the first day of his classes, reported ABC News. But Johnson was scared to leave his mom for an entire day and was unwilling to let go of her. However, the kindhearted bus driver, Isabel Lane, stepped in to take care of Johnson on his way to school.
Lane literally gave Johnson her hand to hold throughout the bus journey as she drove the bus with her other hand. Lane made Johnson sit right behind the driver's seat as the little boy clutched Lane's right hand tightly. "I could see that he really didn't want to let his mom go," Lane, the driver for the Augusta, Wisconsin, school district told Good Morning America, per the outlet. "It was just a natural reaction to give him my hand in hopes that it would calm some of those first-day jitters." Johnson's mom Amy told the news outlet that when she saw Lane take her son's hand, she was relieved to know that her son would be fine since he was in great hands.
To immortalize the sweet moment, she even snapped a picture of Lane and Johnson quickly. The photo was then posted on the Augusta Police Department's Facebook page. "In our 2nd official year in the school, we really need to shout out our school staff. This is one of our wonderful bus drivers, Miss Lane, holding the hand of a scared little one on his first day of school! The compassion we see every day in our teachers, bus drivers, custodians, administration, food service staff, and paraprofessionals is truly admirable. We are so fortunate to be able to partner with these people!" the post's caption read.
On the other hand, the school bus driver was pleasantly surprised to receive countless positive reactions online. "I've had parents message me on Facebook, thanking me for my small act and sharing that they hope the bus driver their child gets would do the same," Lane said. "It just really makes me feel good that I've impacted this many people." She also mentioned Johnson who recovered from his school fright and would show up every day to board the bus with a big smile on his face. The comment section of the Facebook post had more people joining in to applaud Lane for her sweet little gesture.
Charlotte Gebauer Koelling wrote, "What the bus driver did for this little boy was wonderful and moving. Kudos to this school for seeing the beauty in this driver's actions. However, she is lucky some misbegotten school officials didn't decide to fire her for not having both hands on the steering wheel, thus endangering the other students." Carole Corey shared, "I drove a bus for 33 years full-time and 10 more as needed. I loved my kids. Their well-being, both physically and emotionally is very important to those of us who love what we do. I’m retired now, but have contact with many of my children still. I loved them then, I love them still." Kristi Luedtke, "I’m so proud of this community that we live in! There are so many that are there to help when those are in need!"