My heart broke this morning upon reading the terrible news about a horrific school-bus accident near Indianapolis. The crash involved two dump trucks and left four kids with special needs dead and their bus driver seriously injured.
It's too early in the investigation to know if this terrible tragedy on the road could have been prevented by one of the truck drivers, but when those details are reported, it won't change the facts. Four children's lives have been senselessly lost and other innocent lives are now forever altered, including that of the bus driver.
As someone who parented a child with special needs for nearly thirteen years, I know how hard it can be to balance the need for control with supporting your child's growing independence, including sending them off to school each day.
I remember well how tough it was for me to first put my son on a bus for kids with special needs, trusting he would be well taken care of and returned to me safely at the end of the day. I remember how grateful I was to have loving, capable people transport my son. Each day he returned home, I gave unspoken thanks.
This story hit me especially hard.
My heart and deepest sympathies go out to the families of these children, and to the bus driver. I also know the tough grief journey that now awaits each one of them, loss complicated by the manner in which these precious children died.
Forgiveness will be tough to find in the days ahead, yet critical for healing.
Please add your prayers to mine for all those involved, and celebrate your own child.
Life is fragile indeed.
JudyWinter.com
Breakthrough Parenting for Children with Special Needs: Raising the Bar of Expectations
2 comments:
So heartbreaking for those parents, the bus driver and the entire special needs community.
My son also loves his rides on the special school bus. I try to convince him it would be more fun if I picked him up. I always ask each week, "Would you like Mommy to pick you up, or ride the school bus home?"
He hollers, "RIDE THE BUS!!"
May God keep and comfort those families...
Rene Craft
www.specialneedsneighborhood.com
I hadn't heard the news here. Such a horrific tragedy (is there any other kind??!!). As a mother, my heart aches for these parents and their loss, as well as the bus driver. When I was in high school, I was a passenger in three bus wrecks, all in which the driver heroically tried to avert a crash and save his passengers. So I can imagine what a terrible blow this is to all concerned. Thanks for shining a light on this story.
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