Mom 'forever grateful' for school bus driver who befriended her 6-year-old son

A South Carolina mother is crediting a school bus driver for making a world of difference in her 6-year-old son's life.

Kelly Isenberg of Summerville, South Carolina, penned a letter to the Berkeley County School District to share her gratitude for Charles Frierson, who first started driving for the school district last year.

"I just wanted him to know how much we truly, truly appreciate him for everything that he's done for Kameron, so I figured the best way that I could do that is just to write him a letter," Isenberg told "Good Morning America."

Isenberg shared her letter with "GMA" and in it, she wrote, "I have always believed angels come when you least expect them. This holds especially true in regard to Mr. Charles, the bus driver of school bus #220 of Berkeley County, SC."

Isenberg went on to describe how her son's transition to kindergarten had been challenging, but Kameron's unexpected friendship with Frierson, who drove the boy to and from Cane Bay Elementary School each day, encouraged positive behavior changes in her 6-year-old.

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"Mr. Charles goes above and beyond every day for my son," Isenberg wrote. "From simple things such as them eating lunch or bringing my son his favorite ice cream for the two of them to eat together, extra treats being slipped into his backpack as he gets off the bus, to bigger things such as taking time out of his weekend to come to my son's baseball games."

Frierson, who has been driving buses for the last four years, said his job means more to him than simply operating a vehicle, and he's grateful for his friendship with young Kameron as well, who he said "means the world" to him.

"Sometimes you don't know what kids may be going through, and that 'Good morning. Have a good day. How you doing?' … that relationship and small communication with them makes a difference. So, that's what I enjoy doing," Frierson told "GMA."

Frierson said he first met Kameron on his first day of school, and Kameron's special education teacher, Stephanie Williams, said she noticed there appeared to be an instant connection between the two unlikely friends.

"Kameron knocked on the [school bus] door and Mr. Charles came up to the front and opened the door, and [he was] excited to see him. I said, 'I know we're early [but can Kameron] get on the bus for a little bit and chat to you?' And that's all it took," Williams recalled.

"The way he glows when he sees Mr. Charles, it's something that's undescribable," the veteran teacher continued. "Mr. Charles truly is an angel walking here on earth because Kameron was struggling and he has done a complete 180 -- and Mr. Charles has even encouraged him to do things that [he did] not always want to do."

Frierson said of Kameron, "He's an amazing, bright little 6-year-old that I call 'my little buddy' and will always be my little buddy … to know him and to be around [him] is to love him. You've gotta love him."

With summer in session, Frierson and Kameron may not see each other every day as they normally would, but the two say they still plan on keeping in touch.

Kameron said he hopes to have a water fight and enjoy more ice cream with his bus driver.

"We definitely plan on seeing Mr. Charles a lot this summer. I can't keep them boys apart from each other long," Isenberg said, adding that she and her son consider Frierson like a family member.

"I'm looking forward [to] our little ice cream and McDonald's date, the waterpark and hopefully … we can get out," Frierson said. "I'm looking to still be a positive light in whatever he [does]."

Editor's note: This was originally published on June 21, 2023.