TWO RIVERS (NBC 26) — A Two Rivers bus driver noticed a student struggling with his wheelchair on a field trip and decided to do something about it — surprising him with a new electric wheelchair that's now changing his daily life.
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When bus driver Jimmi Parker saw L.B. Clarke student Noah Isley having difficulty getting around during the trip, he knew he had to act.
"It was a lot of wheeling. His wheelchair wasn't in the best shape and I saw he was struggling a little bit so I thought, we gotta do something about that," Parker said.
Parker surprised Noah with an electric wheelchair — and even drilled holes for adjustments so it can grow with him over time.
"I was very surprised at first," Noah said.
"I'll always remember that day. I'll always remember that great bus driver that always stood up for me," Noah said.
Noah said the new chair gives him room to grow.
"It gives me a lot of space to grow in and I can't wait for the future years to come," Noah said.
Noah's mother, Angela Brigman, said she was immediately struck by Parker's generosity.
"Honestly, I was, it was an immediate wow, how could somebody do something so kind," Brigman said.
Brigman said the electric wheelchair has made a practical difference in their everyday lives.
"It's easier to put in the back of the vehicle and getting him into it, instead of having to push him, it's all him," Brigman said.
She added that Parker's involvement also gives her peace of mind.
"I know my child is gonna be safe from the moment he gets on the bus from the moment he comes home," Brigman said.
For Noah, the impact reaches beyond the wheelchair itself.
"It doesn't matter the way you look, it matters on the respect you get. And I know that Jimmi will help a lot of other students throughout the years," Noah said.
Parker said he hopes the story shows the good in bus drivers and how important the ride to and from school can be.
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