A little girl in Hudsonville, Michigan, was all smiles Friday after a field trip showed how much neighbors cherish her.
Jamestown Upper Elementary School student, 9-year-old Lylah Gritter, who uses a wheelchair, got to participate in her first school bus ride with friends, WZZM reported.
To enjoy the recent excursion to Frederik Meijer Gardens, the student required a lift for her to be placed inside the bus. The Hudsonville Public Schools district has smaller vehicles for such needs, but there was one obstacle to overcome regarding this situation.
“For years, we’ve always transported our students that need a wheelchair lift vehicle separately, and teachers would usually find some friends to ride the school bus with them, so they wouldn’t be alone,” Rob Matthews, the district’s director of transportation, explained, adding it has been difficult to find drivers.
Matthews knew the answer was to get a regular bus with a lift, therefore, the Rockford Public Schools graduate asked if that district had one they could use and it quickly agreed to lend the vehicle.
Matthews said, “It really is a testament to both the Hudsonville and the Rockford communities, to show the value of working together to make sure every kid has an opportunity.”
The Hudsonville school board has approved funding for that type of bus, but it will not be ready for several months.
Lylah’s mother, Holly Gritter, recently shared photos of the smiling child and praised everyone involved in making the day one to remember.
“Lylah was pretty bummed about riding with no friends. But thanks to her awesome teacher and the wonderful Hudsonville bus garage they borrowed a bus from another district so Lylah could be with her classmates,” she wrote:
Sometimes it’s the smallest gestures that make such a difference 💛 Lylah’s class field trip was extra special today ….
Posted by Holly Gritter on Friday, May 12, 2023
A social media paged titled Prayers for Lylah details her condition, which is known as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
“This is a rare condition that will cause Lylah’s muscles to slowly shut down,” the page said. Meanwhile, the Muscular Dystrophy Association describes it as a genetic disease.
After the field trip, teacher Jamie DeMaar said she was pleased Lylah was able to join her classmates on the bus.
“We want everyone to feel included in our class. We’re a family, and so I didn’t want anybody to feel left out. If it was my child, I would have wanted the same thing,” DeMaar explained.
Social media users praised the community’s effort to make the day special for Lylah, one person writing, “Well done Hudsonville and Rockford!!!”
“So happy that this was made possible,” another commented.
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