Englewood Mother In Fight To Get Proper School Bus For Son

ENGELWOOD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - At 6 years old, Kayden Kinckle is unstoppable on two legs, on crutches and on wheels, reports CBS2's Ali Bauman.

According to mother Nicole Sessoms, the umbilical cord tied around the bottom of Kayden's legs and caused deformities, but that had little impact on the boy's future dreams.

What will he be when he grows up? "A basketball player," he said.

Kayden had just started first grade at Englewood public schools Tuesday, but getting there wasn't easy.

"First day of school, the bus didn't come to pick him up," said Sessoms. "I called the school, they didn't know, they didn't know what was going on with the bus."

Kayden's mom dropped him off herself, then kept calling about the bus.

"When I called after school there still was no bus for him," she said.

Kayden's been enrolled in the same school district for kindergarten and pre-K, and he rode a bus with a wheelchair lift there and back.

"The next day we waited for the bus again and the bus didn't show up, so I took him to school," she said.
"I called the bus company, they told me they didn't have a bus with a lift so they weren't picking Kayden up."

Kayden tries to spend as much time as he can out of the wheelchair during school, but he needs it to board a school bus because the steps are still too tall and too far apart for him to climb with his crutches.

"You already have people staring and doing different things and I want him to feel like he belongs also," said his mom.

She says the district is required to provide busing, and she's been leaving voice messages all week until someone picked up.

"She said they would work something out, don't worry about it even if it was temporary they'd have someone to pick him up today," said Sessoms.

But the next day... no bus.

So far there's been no explanation from the principal, the superintendent or the bus company.

"I want to build up his character, and how am I doing that I'm fighting for the bus," said Sessoms.

Kayden is resilient, and his mother isn't giving up until she gets an answer.