‘Your story brought us to tears’ says kind couple to Autistic boy left abandoned on school bus

Mum Gillian Calvert said she was so shocked she couldn’t speak after she read a beautiful letter from the well-wishers which included a large cheque.

Ryan, a pupil at Edenderry Primary School, had been left alone on the Education Authority bus for four hours last month.

His dad John explained that Ryan, who is autistic and attends the Learning Support Centre, had found a piece of Lego in his bag and played with it while he was ‘abandoned’ on the bus.

Gillian shared the letter and said she wanted to thank the kind couple Mr and Mrs Gaythwaite who included pictures for Ryan’s wall in the envelop.

The letter said: “Hi Ryan, You are a wonderful young man. To be left in a bus for hours and site and play with your Lego was very brave.

“When I read your story it brought tears to my eyes and still does. Your mum and dad must be very proud of you.

“I am sending you some wee pictures for your room and a little gift. Ask your mum and dad to buy you something special from me. God bless you always, Miles.”

Gillian said: “It is so lovely. Me and John were so shocked we couldn’t speak. We wanted to put something in the paper to thank this man and his wife.

“ He must live somewhere in NI.” She also wants to thank all her family and friends for the gifts and cards which they had sent to Ryan.

The Calvert family had been very upset at the ‘serious neglect’ of Ryan on February 19 when he was left alone on the private bus, hired by the Education Authority.

Mr Calvert had taken Ryan, as usual, to the bus close to their home at Portadown at 8.15am. Ryan was supposed to have been taken to the Learning Support Centre. But his father later discovered he didn’t arrive until noon that day. “We were left in shock,” Mr Calvert said.

A spokesperson for the Education Authority commented: “We can confirm we are investigating the circumstances surrounding an incident on a contracted private hire route involving a pupil attending Edenderry Primary School on Wednesday 19 February 2020. On becoming aware of this incident, we took immediate action as the safety and well-being of pupils is our primary concern.

“We take incidents of this nature extremely seriously and have offered our unreserved apology to the pupil and their parents. As this matter is under investigation no further comment can be made as it may be prejudicial to the process.” Edenderry PS principal Stephen Doyle said they were ‘very concerned about this child being left on the bus’. He had requested an investigation.