Ryder Killam from Bradford was born with spina bifida and has been in a wheelchair since the age of two.
It was very hot outside, and he often got wet while waiting for the school bus. The problem was solved by social media, a local school teacher and his wards, who study carpentry.
The boy’s father, Tim, initially tried to solve the problem on his own. He set up a large umbrella near the road, under which Ryder hid from the weather while waiting for the bus. But it didn’t help.
Then Tim wrote a post on Facebook asking for help – what if someone already has a ready-made shed for these purposes, and it is not needed, because the children have already grown up.
Local school teacher Dan McKena responded to the post. He gathered a group of his teenage students, who are just learning woodworking and building technology, and together they built a bus stop for Ryder.
The little boy is delighted with this house and, according to his father, “hang out all the time in it.” There is enough space for Ryder’s stroller and for an adult accompanying person.
Students from three grades at Westerlis High School worked on the project. Dan McKena has been teaching building technology there for 27 years.
About $300 worth of timber was donated by Home Depot. The remaining expenses ($600) were covered by the boy’s father. The construction took six weeks.
There is even a special sign with the name of the child at the bus stop. He uses this stop every day and feels like in a real fortress.
