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Bus driver holds nervous boy's hand on first day of school

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WABC
Bus driver holds nervous boy's hand on first day of school
Augusta Area School District
Genevieve Shaw-Brown
ByGenevieve Shaw Brown
September 12, 2019, 8:43 PM

Taking the bus to school for the first time can be a scary experience for anyone. When you're 4 years old, it may be extra tough.

But when the right people reach out to lend a hand -- in this case quite literally -- it can make the moment so much more bearable.

That was the case for Axel Johnson. He didn't want his mom to leave the bus, so driver Isabel Lane gave him her hand to hold.

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(More: These kids look like they had a rough first day of school)

"I could see that he really didn't want to let his mom go," Lane, the driver for the Augusta, Wisconsin, school district told "Good Morning America." "It was just a natural reaction to give him my hand in hopes that it would calm some of those first-day jitters."

Get our full coverage to head back to school like a boss and own the school year.

Amy Johnson, Axel's mom, told "GMA" when she saw Lane take Axel's hand, she knew he would "be just fine and he was in great hands." She snapped the photo and knew "he would be safe."

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The photo was posted to the Augusta Police Department Facebook page. The caption read, in part, "The compassion we see every day in our teachers, bus drivers, custodians, administration, food service staff, and paraprofessionals is truly admirable."

Lane is surprised by all the positive reaction the post has received.

"I've had parents message me on Facebook, thanking me for my small act and sharing that they hope the bus driver their child gets would do the same," she said. "It just really makes me feel good that's I've impacted this many people."

The person she's impacted the most, of course, is Axel.

"He's doing amazing," Lane told "GMA." "He gets on every day with a big smile on his face."

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