Arethla Sherman is really a special kind of school bus driver. Actually, she loves all the children who ride her bus every day to school. But there’s a very special bond she has with one little girl on her bus.
That little girl is named Anna. She is 5 years old and was born with a very rare neuromuscular disorder known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, and it’s progressive. It affects mostly her arms and legs, and she is confined to a wheelchair. But no one would ever think it brings her down, because she has such a bright outlook on her young life.
And when Arethla pulls up to her house to pick her up for school, Anna just lights up. She says her bus driver is her best friend. She always tells Arethla that she loves her. Their strong bond actually began when Anna did not show up to catch the bus one day. That concerned Arethla, so later she stopped by Anna’s home to check on her. Anna was fine, but it sure showed the family how much she really cared.
And on Anna’s birthday, when she turned 5, Arethla had the bus all decorated for it. And she even bought the young girl a tiara and a princess dress for her big day. Anna loved all the attention she was getting, especially from her best friend.
Recently Arethla had her own big day coming up, as she was getting married. So she asked little Anna if she would like to take part in her wedding ceremony. Anna couldn’t wait, and she served as the couple’s flower girl.
She even shared a dance with her father after the ceremony. Anna’s mother, Kathleen, appreciates all of these special moments her daughter can experience. It means a lot to her, because she always wanted to see Anna in a wedding. And Arethla’s wedding gave her that.
Their special friendship was recently featured on the CBS Evening News. That video has had more than 782,000 views, with many favorable comments, with one saying: “What a beautiful little girl and beautiful woman. We can learn much from them.” And that’s for sure.
