Every time John Reed pulled up to the stop on Milwaukee's East Side and saw 4-year-old Sebastiana Balistreri waiting for his bus, his smile grew.
John and Sebastiana
For more than three months, John drove Sebastiana and her mom Tracy to school and work. Little Sebastiana and John became fast friends, chatting every morning as she got on and off the bus.
"She was just a ray of sunshine," John said.
Sebastiana Holding the Stuffed Bunny John Got Her
The day before John switched routes, he surprised Sebastiana with a gift bag of coloring books and a stuffed bunny. Video of the surprise and the story of their friendship spread across the globe, racking up millions of views online along with local and national news coverage.
Even though the pair won't see each other every day anymore, they are still keeping in touch!
A heartwarming story of MCTS Excellence.
Update: MCTS Driver John Reed passed away in June 2019 after a battle with cancer. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends and co-workers – as well as the passengers who he loved so much.