HomeBus driver spots wandering barefoot baby in freezing cold and goes above the call of duty

Bus driver spots wandering barefoot baby in freezing cold and goes above the call of duty

January 11, 2019 | by Odette Odendaal

An alert bus driver from Milwaukee rescued a barefoot toddler who aimlessly wandered along a freeway overpass in freezing temperatures.

Three days before Christmas, Irena Ivic drove on a freeway overpass and saw the toddler on the side of the road. The toddler, dressed in a red onesie and diaper was heading towards an intersection when Irena caught sight of the child.

The bus driver quickly stopped her bus, and ran to the child, picking her up before she wandered into traffic. Ivic took the toddler back to her bus where one of the passengers draped a winter coat over the little one for some warmth.

Temperatures were freezing that day, and other passengers gathered around in disbelief. As Ivic sat down on the driver seat in her bus with the toddler in her arms she said:

"Oh my God. Oh my God. I am shaking."

Compassionately Ivic stroked her hair for a short while before the little one drifted to sleep.

Police said afterward that the 19-month-old was scared and cold but otherwise unharmed. Officials believe that the mother had a mental crisis after which the child wandered off and have since been reunited with its father. Afterward, Ivic said:

"I absolutely love kids. I used to be a teacher, and I have children of my own, so I'm so happy I was able to help this sweet, innocent baby.”

The kindness of another bus driver also warmed hearts as he went above and beyond for the children in his care.

Since 2013, Wayne Price was responsible for taking high, middle and elementary school students in Montevallo, Alabama to school every day.

After the school informed Wayne of a delay in opening the school due to a storm, he knew he had to make a plan for the kids.

Up to 75% of students at Montevallo Elementary School are from low-income families, who struggle to be able to afford three meals a day, so these children rely heavily on the National School Lunch Program for food.

With the kids already on board and a McDonald’s nearby, it made Wayne’s decision easy. He bought about 50 sandwiches and made sure all the kids had something to eat.

Source: Facebook/Montevallo Elementary School

Source: Facebook/Montevallo Elementary School

Working with these children for so long, he had grown attached to them, and he cares about them, so to see the smiles on their faces set him at ease as he said:

“I got some sweet kids, and I get really attached to them … They were really appreciative. I dunno. I just love my kids. I got lots of fist pumps, lots of high-fives, lots of ‘Love you Mr. Price,’ lots of ‘Thank you, Mr. Price.'”

It is truly heartwarming to see that people that play such an integral part of society display the type of qualities we can all aspire to, and reassuring to know that those children get to experience that.

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