Bus driver doubles as hair dresser for students
Student needed help styling after losing mom
Student needed help styling after losing mom
Student needed help styling after losing mom
Each morning, 11-year-old Isabella Pieri gets ready on her own. Her father leaves for work early, and her mother died after years of treatment for a rare illness.
Over the years, the Utah girl's father has taught her to take care of herself, but there is one area that鈥檚 difficult for most dads: hair.
鈥淚 originally just gave her a crew cut because I didn鈥檛 know how, and it was all tangled and I couldn鈥檛 get it out for anything,鈥� Philip Pieri said.
After the crew cut, Isabella took matters into her own hands.
For a long time it was a quick brush, ponytail and then off to school. But a few months ago, something happened.
Better yet — someone happened: Isabella鈥檚 bus driver, Tracy Dean.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 be shy; you鈥檝e got to talk to them. You treat them like your own kids, you know,鈥� Dean says.
One morning as kids were getting off the bus, Isabella noticed Dean fixing a classmates braid and got the courage to ask if she would braid her hair too.
Now, Dean styles each girl鈥檚 hair almost every morning.
鈥淪even years ago, I found out I had breast cancer, and that鈥檚 one of the things that went though my head — who is going to take care of my little ones? Not that my husband couldn鈥檛 do it, but you know, that鈥檚 what moms do. They do their kids鈥� hair.鈥�
鈥淚t makes me feel like she鈥檚 a mom pretty much to me,鈥� Isabella said. 鈥淎nd it makes me excited for the next day to see what she does.鈥�
Isabella鈥檚 dad is noticing.
鈥淭racy didn鈥檛 have to step up, but she stepped up to help out, I was amazed,鈥� he said.
And Isabella鈥檚 teachers are noticing.
鈥淚 just noticed her head was a little higher that morning,鈥� her teacher, Mrs. Freeze said, 鈥渁nd she had a little more of a step.鈥�