Coach Atlantic Makes Young Jacob and His Friends' Dreams Come True

Jacob O'Brien has a medical condition that prevents him from developing normally. Despite his challenges, his parents want to give him as normal a life as possible. For example, to be able to take part in his 8th grade class's end-of-year trip. It's a dream made possible by the loyalty and determination of his classmates, who have witnessed the solidarity and empathy that has united them since kindergarten. Indeed, for the Grade 8 students from Grand-Barachois school in New Brunswick who were preparing their end-of-year trip to visit Quebec City: there was no way they were going to leave their friend, Jacob, behind!

Coach Atlantic to the Rescue
To make Jacob's and his classmates' dreams come true, a group of people came up with solutions that would allow him to ride on the same bus as his friends.

When Coach Atlantic was made aware of the situation, it immediately responded to the school's call by ordering a brand-new Prevost coach that was, above all, wheelchair-accessible.

As Coach Atlantic president Matthew Cassidy explains, the company has smaller vehicles for people with reduced mobility, but they're not designed for long journeys. The company decided to purchase a Prevost adapted coach on the spot.

"When we heard this story, that the students didn't want to go on the trip if Jacob couldn't go too, like everyone else, the decision was very easy to make," Matthew Cassidy explained.

“Jacob deserves to be on the bus, make the 10-hour drive to Quebec City and eat all the sweets and chips he wants with all the other students," laughs Matthew Cassidy. “Bus number 2527 will forever be Jacob's bus!”

He adds that this is the company's first wheelchair-accessible coach and hopes that this purchase will help other groups in the same situation.

Prevost took advantage of the trip to Quebec City to meet Jacob and his friends and also to present some gifts to all the students.

"For us, it was important not only to mark young Jacob's passage through Quebec City, but also to remind people of the importance of paratransit by coach," mentioned Guillaume Charron, Prevost's Vice President of Retail Operations and Sales. "Every year, we sell over 180 adapted coaches in North America.”

This is a victory for Jacob, for his parents, for the school staff, and for the 8th graders. Thanks to Coach Atlantic for this heartfelt initiative!