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Students show support for bus driver after cancer diagnosis
After a cancer diagnosis forced Heidi Carston to leave her job with ISD 196, students stepped up to show their support for the beloved school bus driver.
ROSEMOUNT, Minn. — As a bus driver, Heidi Carston is used to picking up kids for school. Now, her students are the ones picking her up.
“Who knew? Who knew that a bus driver could make an impact on them?” Carston said.
Years ago, Carston left her job as a medical transcriptionist and applied to be a school bus driver. She’s been a driver for Independent School District 196, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan for the past 10 years.
“I love the kids,” Carston said. “They crack me up.”
But life took an unexpected turn when at the end of November, Carston came home from her morning bus route to a phone call from her gastroenterologist. The biopsy showed cancer in the 64-year-old’s stomach.
“In one phone call my life was changed forever,” Carston said.
Carston — whose family has a history of cancer — has stage 4 metastatic gastric cancer.
“There is no cure for me at this point. It’s just chemotherapy trying to get me into remission and extend my life for a little bit longer. So I’m on a new journey, different adventure now. I miss these kids every day,” Carston said.
Carston started chemotherapy in January. One of the side effects is an extreme intolerance to cold.
“I knew at that point that there was no way that I could go out and work in a freezer on wheels,” she said.
Carston completed her last route on bus 347 on December 13. She told her kids she would not be returning because of her cancer.
“A lot of gifts, flowers, cards, hugs… lots, and lots, and lots of hugs,” Carston said. “These kids just amaze me.”
The cards include illustrations of bus 347 and Carston wearing a crown with the words, “You are a warrior” on top.
One of the cards said, “Someone as incredible as you has everything you need to get through this… you are the best bus driver.”
“Just thinking about all of this gives me a little more will to fight,” Carston said.
“I really do miss her. I wish she was our bus driver again,” said Noah Webber, 11.
Webber, a sixth grader at Black Hawk Middle School in Eagan, had only been on Carston’s route since September.
When he heard about his bus driver’s cancer diagnosis, he said, “I started thinking about trying to do something. I just really couldn’t stand there and watch it happen. So that’s why I chose to start fundraising.”
He came up with a bake sale, making his grandma’s homemade banana bread and then Webber found a recipe for apricot muffins. With the help of his parents, he reached out to neighbors and friends about the bake sale.
When it was time to deliver the money to Carston, Webber recalled, “My mom was like, ‘Alright, are you ready to seal the envelope?’ And she told me the amount and I was like, ‘Wait, mom.’ I went to my… money stash and I picked $26 from it and I added it to the pile to make exactly $1000.”
The family delivered baked goods, a card and $1,000 cash to Carston and her husband at their home in Rosemount.
“I just couldn’t even believe it. Couldn’t even believe it,” Carston said.
The pair met up at Carston’s home for Monday’s interview. Carston gave Webber a hug and said, “My whole life has just been turned upside down and there’s a kid that rides my bus, that’s in his kitchen, and he’s baking to raise money for me. I had no idea. You’re just awesome.”
Webber responded to his bus driver, “You too.”
If you would like to help support Carston as she navigates new expenses from her cancer diagnosis, a GoFundMe page has been set up here.
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Last week, prosecutors charged John Sawchak with attempted 2nd-degree murder and other felony charges after he allegedly shot his neighbor Davis Moturi.
MINNEAPOLIS — Following the shooting between two neighbors, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to request that the city’s auditor conduct an independent investigation into the incidents and cases between Davis Moturi and John Sawchak.
Moturi was allegedly shot by his neighbor, Sawchak, on Wednesday, Oct. 23 but Minneapolis police did not arrest Sawchak until days later.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara defended not arresting Sawchak sooner, calling it a “high-risk” situation. O’Hara later said the victim, who had complained about harassment from Sawchak for months, was failed by police. Sawchak was arrested this past weekend after an hours-long standoff.
Moturi suffered a fractured spine, two broken ribs, and a concussion in the shooting. “Mr. Moturi’s life matters and I’m sorry that for nearly a year, MPD did not treat it like it did,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley in a news release, “Today’s vote affirms that the City Council is committed to taking meaningful actions towards accountability and restoration, starting with this independent review.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released this statement:
“Mayor Frey fully supports an independent review of this incident. The mayor and City are committed to always doing better, and this means closely examining past actions and finding where there may be ways to improve and grow. The mayor extends his condolences to Davis Moturi, his wife, Caroline, and their family and friends. The safety of our residents is a top priority and any form of violence or hate speech is completely unacceptable and does not align with who we are as a community. Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”
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The episode also revealed three of the new cast members, one of whom, “Alex,” told Lachey Minneapolis is “not like a major city, but it’s also not a small town,” which he said is just one of the obstacles in his way of finding the one.
“I just never found the right person that clicked for me,” he said.
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“The Stories From My Grandmother’s Hands” is a book that aims to show young Black children how their grandmas lived through beautiful illustrations and descriptions.
KARE 11 News at Noon shared more on Thursday about the impact that this book will have.
