Shuttle goes extra mile to help disabled boy

A special "compassionate bus stop" was recently established in Xiangyang, Hubei province, for a boy with cerebral palsy to commute between his home and school despite concerns over costs.

It's extremely rare to set up a bus stop for a single individual. Behind it is a commitment lasting more than three years, telling a warmhearted story about a city's care for the vulnerable group and the trust between strangers.

Every day at 7 am, the boy, Shang Zhipeng, 15, and his mother Jiang Feifei wait for bus route 73 at its starting station. Shang gets on, swipes his bus card, and waves goodbye to his mother. With the driver Mei Meng holding his arm, Shang sits down on the seat at the right rear of the driver, so that Mei can keep an eye on him through the mirror. "This child is special. We need to maintain his safety at all times," Mei said.

One hour later, while all the passengers get off at the route's terminal station, Shang stays back. After five minutes, the bus arrives at the "compassionate bus stop" near Qisheng Special Education and Training School.

Mei helps him get off and entrusts his care to the boy's teachers.

"The first time I saw Shang and his mother was in February 2022. I noticed that the child didn't move very smoothly, and the mother always nodded off. I then talked to them, learning that the mother had to work at night and escorted the boy to school and home in the daytime, feeling exhausted," Mei said, adding they had to walk 2 kilometers to the school after alighting at the terminal station.

Since March 2022, Mei and his colleagues have volunteered to pick up the child at 7 am from the starting station and the school at around 5 pm. Since the special school doesn't have summer and winter vacations, he and his colleagues have completed more than 1,600 trips in more than 800 days. "I understand how difficult life can be for a family with a child with intellectual disabilities. I hope to ease their hardships. I want the child to feel cared for and the family to see the kindness and support of society," Mei said, adding that he has a child of roughly the same age as Shang.

Mei once visited their home in summer and was struck by the cramped living space. There was no air conditioner, and the stifling heat had turned the mother's face red.

"Though I couldn't offer much materially, I could at least ensure Shang's safety on his way to school, easing some of his mother's burdens and supporting the family in my own way," he said.

Jiang said Mei told her they can accompany the boy on the bus so she can take a rest.

"When Mei offered to help, I was, of course, grateful and happy, but also a little worried. After all, the child's condition is special, and Mei and the others were volunteering out of goodwill. If anything went wrong, it would be hard to explain. But to my surprise, Mei was incredibly responsible," she said.

Previously, Jiang had to accompany the child on the bus, which disrupted her normal work schedule and sleep. Getting off the bus, they still had to walk about 20 minutes, and rainy days made it even harder.

She said now she hardly worries about the child's commute. Since the drivers took over, she has quit the night shift job and found daytime work near home. "Life has become much easier," she added.

"For families like ours, it's nearly impossible to hire someone to escort our child — we can't afford to pay too much, but pay too little, and no one is willing to take the responsibility. So Mei's kindness meant the world to me. He treated my child as his own, often bringing snacks and fruits," she said.

Jiang remembered a time, just before International Children's Day, when Shang was sick and couldn't go to school. Yet Mei had prepared a gift in advance. When Shang received it, he was overjoyed — hugging him, kissing him, and dancing. "Even though he struggles with expressing emotions, his happiness was unmistakable. That gift was cherished for days," she said.

Jiang said this experience made her aware that there are good, kindhearted people in society, and it gives her renewed hope for the child's future. "I'm truly grateful," she added.

Though the 4-km extra route daily for a single passenger entails an extra cost, Huang Yong, deputy manager of Mei's company, the second branch of Xiangyang Public Transport Group, said: "As long as we can let the child go to school safely, it's worthwhile."

It's the first "compassionate bus stop" in the city.

Contact the writers at chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn