When Jefferson County Public School bus driver Larry Farrish Jr. saw first-grader Levi Carrier, looking sad at the bus stop on Pajama Day morning, he knew something was off.
"Any normal day when I pull up to the bus stop, Levi like waves me in," Farrish said. "This day, he didn't wave me in. I noticed him sitting down on the ground by himself."
Farrish said he asked Levi what was wrong when the first-grader stepped on the bus.
"He looked up at me, bawling, face full of tears and he said 'I don't have any pajamas,'" Farrish said. "Obviously it meant a lot to him."
According to Levi's mother, Jasmine Carrier, the family lives in a home without a washer and dryer hookup up and her son didn't have a clean pair of pajamas that day.
Farrish Jr. said he dropped the students off, finished his assigned route, and reported to the bus monitors that he planned to go buy Levi pajamas. Farrish said he went to a local Family Dollar and bought two sets of pajamas as he would guess which set Levi would want to wear.
When Farrish arrived back at school, the receptionist called Levi down to receive his pajamas.
"He came around the corner, his face lit up. It was the biggest smile that I recognized every morning," said Farrish "I was like, that's Levi."
Farrish told Levi he did not want to see the first grader upset.
"'I want you to participate in pajama day,'" Farrish said he told Levi. "I said, 'Will you try these on when you get back to your classroom and have a good day?'"
Farrish Jr. said Levi immediately embraced his gift.
"He hugged them and he said 'I have pajamas.'"
Farrish Jr. said he was moved to tears at the joy he saw the pajamas bring Levi.
"Something so little as pajamas made his world," Farrish said.
"It's amazing," said Carrier, who said she appreciated the gesture. "You don't find too many nice people out here," she added.
She said Levi talks highly of his bus driver and talks about the pajamas every day, adding that Levi brought home a photo of the two of them together.
Farrish has been a bus driver for nearly seven years. He said he loves his job, which he says is challenging at times, dealing with nine schools and interacting with a wide array of personalities.
"It's not for the weak. It's not. I love it. I won't change a thing about it," said Farrish Jr., who said he bonds with the students over personalized handshakes and games of rock, paper, scissors.
"I never wanted to see my student hurt because of something so small," Farrish Jr. said. "It's the importance of being able to participate."
