POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A little girl’s death on the bus has led to major changes in a Bay Area school district, thanks to her parents’ relentless fight for safety improvements.
Terissa Gautney died last March after she started having breathing trouble on the way to school. Video from inside the bus showed nearly 20 minutes passed from when the problem started until an ambulance got there.
In the video, you see the bus driver calling transportation dispatchers, instead of 911. The aide appears helpless. It’s excruciating for anyone to watch, especially her parents.
“It was very hard, because she was my whole life, and I'm so empty without her,” Gautney’s mother, Denise Williams, said.
In their pain, Gautney's parents have found a purpose. They've been to nearly every school board meeting since their daughter died a year ago, pushing to improve safety on Polk County school buses.
“When it comes to student safety, there isn't a cost,” Gautney’s father, David, said. “It's immeasurable.”
The district is fitting all of its buses with new radios. Drivers will be able to contact 911 directly, and 911 dispatchers will be able to see the bus' exact location. This week, the school board approved the six million dollar upgrade.
“When I see a butterfly, I think of her,” Williams explained. “When I came out of the meeting last night, there was a butterfly. It just went right by me, so I know she was there.”
Gautney's parents have sued the school district. They say it's not for the money, but to make changes like the ones that will be implemented in Polk County by next school year.
They're also pushing for a law that would require these new radios in all school buses across the state, as well as CPR training for drivers and aides.
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