We can all relate to the anxiety of the first day of school.
Whether you’re in school now or sending a little one off on their first day, we all know the feeling well.
Somewhere between excitement and fear, everyone’s likely to experience the first day jitters at some point or another.
Maybe more than once or twice, even.
Well, meet Axel of Augusta, Wisconsin. It’s his first day of school.
We can all relate to Axel’s story.
As Axel gears up for his first day of 4k, a pre-kindergarten program, he has his backpack and lunchbox.
He’s ready to go. There’s just one problem – the big, yellow school bus.
Amy Johnson, Axel’s mother, is all ready for the big send-off.
With her camera phone out and ready, Amy wanted to document her son’s first day. As the pair waited at the bus stop, all seemed to be going well…
Axel seems excited for his new adventure and mom seems just as excited for him.
The bus strolls down the street, but Axel suddenly bursts into tears.
It seems that the reality that he would have to separate from his mother has set in.
Axel refuses to get on the bus.
He doesn’t want to leave Mom.
Taking matters into her own hands, Amy walks Axel onto the school bus and places him in the front row seat, right behind the bus driver.
But the poor guy doesn’t want to leave his mom behind!
After several failed attempts to calm Axel down, the bus driver knows exactly what to do.
Isabel Lane, the bus driver, quickly reaches her hand back to young Axel. He immediately grabs her hand for comfort.
This was mom’s time to escape. Amy rushed down the bus stairs and turned her head back just in time to catch a perfect shot of Axel on the bus.
Now, he’s holding hands with his new friend, driver Isabel.
Amy snapped a quick pic of the exchange.
Naturally, the touching moment went viral.
Soon, the Augusta Police Department got a hold of it.
They did most of the viral heavy lifting, sharing it with the world.
They really couldn’t get enough of it! So they set out to shout out their fellow Augustans.
Now, the whole world knows!
The compassionate Isabel soon became a sensation. She explains her mentality, her big heart on full display:
“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal personally. It was just something I felt I should do. If you see someone struggling, just reach out a hand. You don’t have to say anything. But it can make a big difference in someone’s day.”
Separation anxiety isn’t uncommon.
As stated in several popular parenting books, such as What to Expect When You’re Expecting, it’s quite common for kids to feel a bit of separation anxiety on their first day of school.
Usually, though, the kiddos will calm down just minutes after. This was exactly the case for Axel.
Isabel said that Axel had calmed down before they even turned off the street!
On the second day of school, Isabel reported that Axel had no fears.
He jumped right on the school bus and began chatting with her. What a brave boy!
He was ready to take 4k by storm!
Shoutout to Isabel’s benevolence.
Isabel makes it her goal each morning to send the kids off to school ready and eager to not only learn but thrive as well. She tries to not only be a role-model, but a listening friend for the youngsters.
Isabel states that when you see someone in need, simply reaching out a comforting hand can make a world of a difference.
Her helping hand surely helped Axel to conquer his first day of school fears.
It’s true that not all heroes wear capes!
Every neighborhood needs an Isabel.
Before you go, check out Axel and Isabel’s entire story in the video player below!
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