A footage went viral and touched the hearts of netizens when a bus driver of the K1 “True Love Bus” in Qingdao, China, carried a boy diagnosed with cerebral palsy off the bus and brought him to safety. The driver, Master Yu, admits that the special situation has been going on for more than 6 years. It was a heartwarming scene for the netizens.
Hehe, as the boy is fondly called, goes to the hospital via the K1 bus for rehabilitation every day. Since the child has limited mobility and takes a wheelchair to get to places, it was inconvenient for the mother and her son to travel daily. Kind-hearted drivers of the K1 bus never hesitated to assist the mother and son by carrying the young boy to and from the bus. The heart-warming situation has been going on for 6 years and the drivers never ceased to help.
The video, which was captured by the vehicle’s CCTV, shows Master Yu Yimu, the driver of Qingdao Zhenqing Bus K1, parking the bus properly at the bus stop, going to the handicapped boy’s seat, and carefully carrying Hehe on his back. Getting off the bus, he put him on a bench at the bus stop and returned to his driving seat. The boy and the driver said their goodbyes. Some of the passengers were moved and applauded.
“Xiao Hehe goes to rehabilitation every day, and takes any of our K1 buses, including driver Master Lu Zhenhua’s bus,” said bus driver Yu Yimu. “More than 50 bus drivers will do this to help Xiao Hehe. In the past 6 years, we have become accustomed to it.”
In 2014, the bus line where Master Yu works opened their doors to passengers and began their journey. One day at noon, a woman named Zhang was preparing to board the bus with her son. The bus driver, Lu Zhenhua, assisted them. Incidentally, Zhang was his elder sister.
“I couldn’t stand or speak, and my hands were still shaking,” said driver Lu Zhenhua. “I felt very sad at that time. I transferred $14.50 to my eldest sister through WeChat. My eldest sister didn’t want anything. She felt that she couldn’t ask for other people’s money. I said that my $14.50 is not for you. It is for the child. Buy the child something delicious. This is how they took the bus for the first time.”
Since then, the drivers would meet Zhang and her son at the station and assist the boy on and off the bus. Xiao Hehe was born with brain damage due to severe suffocation and is unable to speak or walk while growing up. Zhang takes Hehe to the hospital in the North District of Qingdao for rehabilitation daily. For a distance of more than 50 kilometers, the mother and son have to transfer 3 times by bus, and the round trip takes more than 5 hours.
“When we got in the bus, the child and his mother were already inside,” said passenger Mr. Ma. “When we got off the bus, the driver took him down very carefully. It was truly heartwarming and very touching.”
At first, only the two master drivers, Lu Zhenhua and Yu Yimu, helped the mother and son. Soon, the other bus drivers became aware of the situation and never hesitated to assist Hehe to and from the bus. They would carry Hehe on their backs. The situation has been going on for more than 6 years.
The driver, Master Lu Zhenhua, said that Hehe was only 8 years old in 2014 and weighed only 30 kilograms. They could easily carry him with one hand. Now, Hehe weighs almost 100 kilograms and is getting a little heavier to carry. However, as long as Zhang continues to bring him to the hospital for rehab and rides the K1 bus every day, the drivers will not hesitate to assist them.
The kind-hearted drivers have a common wish for Hehe. They hope that one day, his physical condition will improve, and his life would get better in all aspects, and going to school would be more convenient for him.
Every weekday morning, Zhang would accompany Hehe during his classes in an elementary school near their home. When classes are dismissed at 11:30, they would go directly to the K1 bus station and prepare to go to the hospital for rehab. Since they have no time to go home for lunch, Zhang would pack food in an insulated bucket in the morning before they leave for school.
When Zhang’s brother, bus driver Lu Zhenhua, learned about their situation, he sought the approval of his superiors to allow the mother and son to have their lunch in the employee cafeteria. However, Zhang hesitated since she did not want to cause trouble to anyone. Finally, the team gave Zhang a meal card that she could use. All she had to do was swipe the card, and her meal cost would be deducted at employee price. At first, she would only spend $1.45 daily using the meal card. However, the meal card was getting deducted more and more.
“Now, there are $60 to $75 in the card,” said driver Lu Zhenhua. “A meal is only $0.45 to $0.60, enough to last for half a year. The money is donated by everyone. Zhang San donates $8, and Li Si donates $15.”
It turned out that the drivers were putting more money into Zhang’s meal card now and then. By the time Zhang would top up, the drivers would tell her that there is still money in her meal card. When Zhang learned of this, she and her son understood everyone’s kindness and were very grateful. Every time they get on the bus, while it is still at the station, Zhang would help wipe the rearview mirror, remind passengers to show their health codes, and become a “temporary voluntary safety officer.”
“We have more than 50 drivers on K1,” driver Yu Yimu said. “The child’s mother told me, ‘Master Yu, I don’t have any valuables at home, and I don’t have the money to buy expensive gifts. So I went to buy cross stitch and did the cross-stitch insoles at home, sewing 50 pairs at a seam. These 50 pairs took me more than two months.’”
Each handmade insole that Zhang made for the bus drivers had the words “Safety First” cross-stitched on every insole. A reminder for each driver to be careful while on the road. Although her gifts were not expensive, they were all made with gratitude, and friendship between mother and son and the drivers lived on. Hehe’s family lives on a meager income from his father’s part-time job. More than 50 of the K1 bus drivers chip in to buy books, toys, clothes, and shoes for the child. During the holidays, they take Hehe out for the child to have fun. For the boy, they were not ordinary bus drivers but a family.
“Through them, with their help, I also have the confidence that my child will recover.” Hehe’s mother, Zhang Jinfeng, said.
Goodwill and support strive for Zhang to go on. Rain or shine, she was motivated to accompany Hehe in rehab. Now, Hehe’s physical condition is improving.
“Basically, he can walk indoors now, with better stability than before,” Lu Wei, an attending doctor at the Rehabilitation Hospital, said. “His language expression is much clearer, and his chewing ability is also much better. He hopes that he will be well, and often communicates with us. He wants to repay the society, and he wants to repay the kind people who took care of him and her mother.”
Hehe and his mother made a digital photo album using their mobile phones, capturing every detail of taking the K1 bus every day for more than 6 years.
Lu Zhenhua and Yu Yimu, 2 ordinary bus drivers, noticed the struggles of a mother and her child who was under medical treatment. For more than 6 years, they did not hesitate to lend a helping hand and share goodwill out of the kindness of their hearts. More than 6 years of persistence motivated the mother and son. The K1 bus team showed bravery, and the mother-son duo had a family other than their own. Citizens who have witnessed the goodwill of these drivers are grateful.
▼ Here is the viral video showing the kind-hearted drivers in action.
The K1 bus lines have earned the gratefulness of both Zhang and Hehe. The K1 bus, which everyone has fondly called “True Love Bus”, has lived up to its name. While the wheels are turning, each K1 bus also passes on its true feelings to every regular traveling passenger. The K1 “True Love Bus” is full of goodwill and love.
Screenshot images credits: © Hi China/YouTube
