Thomas Mitchell was a school bus mechanic in Clarksville, Tennessee, but he occasionally filled in as a driver
Mitchell witnessed mom Verna DeSpain struggling to get her 10-year-old daughter Lydia down the steps of her porch and onto the bus. The stairs were just not cutting it for her daughter’s wheelchair. Mitchell couldn’t stand idly by – he knew he needed to help.
“The ramp they were using was like a temporary aluminum ramp, like a folding ramp. It didn’t go all the way to the top step.”
He remembered having seen organizations that help people with these types of projects, so he took it upon himself to call a few of them to explain the situation.
He then gave Lydia’s mother, Verna DeSpain, a call to let her know what he had arranged.
“You know, I wasn’t expecting anyone to just call and volunteer to do that,” DeSpain told. “After we got off the phone, I was so happy I was just crying happy tears.”
Mitchell and his crew showed up and built the ramp in one day. DeSpain and her daughter made sure to come out and express their appreciation.
“Taking the time to help someone in need was truly inspiring, proving that a little bit of empathy could go a long way,” the helping crew told.
Sources:
- https://youtu.be/qhjFG5oZxDA
- https://www.today.com/news/school-bus-driver-builds-ramp-girl-need-t108250
- https://abc7.com/society/bus-driver-thomas-mitchell-builds-wheelchair-ramp/1780921/
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