Bus driver helps braid 11-year-old girl's hair every day after she lost her mother

A bus driver has captured people's hearts for going the extra mile to comfort a motherless child.

Tracey Dean braids 11-year-old Isabelle Pieri's hair every morning, as reported by Liftable.

When Isabella's mother died, her father, Philip Pieri, decided to give her a crew cut because he didn't know how to fix her hair like her mother did.

But her hair grew back eventually. Isabella would simply put her hair in a ponytail.

One day, she noticed Tracey Dean, the bus driver, fixing one of her classmate's braid. She approached the driver and asked her if she could also braid her hair.

Tracey quickly agreed and Isabella was overjoyed.

Tracey said she treats the children she drives every day to school like her own children.

"You can't be shy, you've got to talk to them. You treat them like your own kids, you know," Liftable quoted Tracey as saying.

She explained that she developed a deeper appreciation of children when she found out she had breast cancer seven years ago.

When she was told of the diagnosis, one of the first thoughts that went through her head was, "who is going to take care of my little ones?"

She added that she believes her husband could fix her children's hair, but she also thinks that doing the children's hair is what mothers do.

Isabella said Tracey made her feel like she still has a mother.

"It makes me feel like she's a mom pretty much to me. And it makes me excited for the next day to see what she does," she said, as quoted by Liftable.

The young girl's teachers said Tracy's gesture has helped Isabella have a more positive attitude.

Mrs. Freeze, one of Isabella's teachers, said: "I just noticed her head was a little higher that morning, and she had a little more of a step."