When SOUTHLAND Driver Jennifer Ma signed up to work a charter in mid-October, the thought that it would be anything more than another routine trip never crossed her mind. However, that all changed when she found out who the guest of honour was.
Sloane is autistic and has been non-speaking for most of her life. Her parents, Jill and Rogan, wanted to give her a memorable seventh birthday party, but because Sloane has difficulty communicating her wishes, they utilized an innovative way to plan Sloane’s birthday celebration.
“With Sloane, we presume competence, and have given her the opportunity to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), which is a program on her iPad where we can use visuals and buttons as a way to communicate with each other, a.k.a. her talker”, Jill explained.
“Last year, she went on a school field trip to the zoo”, Jill continued. “And her learning assistant told us that she smiled the whole time she was on the bus and that for weeks afterwards, she kept pressing the button for school bus on her talker. We took that as meaning she wanted to go again, and thought it would be really cool to come up with a special experience for her for her birthday. So why not try to book a school bus?”
Jill’s online booking experience with SOUTHLAND was a breeze, and Charter Manager Tara Irwin reassured her that everything was all set and ready to go. What really started the day on the right foot was when Jill met Jennifer Ma, her charter driver for the special excursion.
“Our expectations were exceeded the moment Jen arrived and shook my hand. She was warm and personable, and we could tell she was an experienced driver and exactly the right person for our day. We were also surprised to discover that the bus was covered in Halloween decorations, which the kids absolutely loved!”
After meeting the family, Jennifer had a good feeling she was in for a wonderful outing. “I was really excited and wanted to make sure this little girl had the most amazing time. It definitely made my heart happy that I got to be a part of this… I knew this would be one of the most rewarding charters I have done in my 16 years at SOUTHLAND.”
Jill booked the bus for 2.5 hours, and arranged with Souto Farms north of Airdrie that they would be bringing a busload of people for coffee and ice cream. The bus parked while birthday guests did a little shopping at the market and enjoyed the outdoor play area. “It was great to have the bus right there as Sloane would often come on and off the bus. It was a great refuge for her to self-regulate if she needed a little time away. Then we took the long way home to complete the round-trip.”
Check out the video below for a recap of the special day.
In the end, Jill says her charter booking with SOUTHLAND could be described as an unqualified success. “We’re thrilled with how everything came together to create a unique and meaningful experience for our daughter’s birthday. Sloane is teaching so many of us to look at typical everyday things differently, and at what really matters at the end of the day, and this experience is a great example of that.”
Meanwhile, this positive experience left Jennifer wanting to let all SOUTHLAND drivers know that taking on extra work with charters can be very rewarding!
“These types of charters really open your eyes. When you get to see the joy in their faces, it makes you feel like you are the reason someone smiles.”
Any SOUTHLAND drivers interested in helping with charter work can call (403) 398-2244 or email charter_estimate@southland.ca. You never know – your next charter job could be a beautiful family outing with memories that will last a lifetime.
