(In spite of being a part of Senior Services, our Hyde Shuttles serve many folks who are not seniors!   The service is available to people with disabilities as well.  This is one such story).


Olivia  can be found on the Highline Community College campus Monday through Friday.

Olivia Williams, a regular Hyde Shuttle rider, is going places.  At 17, she already attends Highline Community College fulltime (thanks to the Running Start program) and has both short-term and long-term goals.  In the immediate future, she’d like to maintain a high GPA; achieve respectable scores on the SAT’s; and improve her strength, health, and mobility.  In the more distant future, she’d like to pursue her interest in the sciences and passion for helping others by becoming a pharmacist. 

Olivia is clearly ambitious but describes herself as: laid back, introverted, and independent.  She also acknowledges that various facets of her character have been formed by the fact that she has a disability.  She explains, “I have cerebral palsy.  I was born three months premature.  A lung collapsed-- causing my brain to hemorrhage, which affected the part of my brain that controls my movements.” 

Olivia reports that she has never felt bad about suffering from cerebral palsy because it is the only reality she has ever known, and she knows that a lot of people are in a far worse condition than she is.  Cerebral palsy has forced her to break free from her naturally shy shell to advocate for herself.  “I can’t be a wallflower,” she says.  It has also caused her to be more driven.  “I have to prove to people I can do this,” she adds.  In addition, she admits that having cerebral palsy has also caused her to be more cautious.  She recognizes that she is more vulnerable than others and needs to adapt her lifestyle accordingly. 

This is where the Hyde Shuttle comes into play.  Olivia did not feel comfortable taking the city buses to her daily classes at Highline Community College, and the stops were an unmanageable distance from her home.  Therefore, she was incredibly pleased when she discovered the Hyde Shuttles. 

Olivia found the smaller-scale shuttles to be a good fit for her needs and preferences.  She labels them as very convenient and expresses relief that they are always on time.  She also says, “The volunteer drivers are really nice, interesting, welcoming, and friendly.   You can tell that they really want to be there.”   She is very grateful for the service and the personalized attention she receives.  She now rides the shuttle five days per week.

The Hyde Shuttles will not provide Olivia with her transportation forever.  In addition to completing her AA, obtaining her bachelor’s degree, and attending pharmacy school, she has another plan: acquiring her driver’s license.  But, as she continues on her life journey, the shuttles (and their helpful volunteer drivers) are there to support her in her efforts to dream big and travel far. 

This week’s post features another testimonial from a 77-year-old woman who knows are programs well.  Here is what she recently shared with us:

“I use both the Hyde Shuttle and Volunteer Transportation programs.  I don’t know what I’d do without these services.  I used to drive everywhere as a social worker caring for mentally ill veterans, but you never know what shocks life has in store for you.  I got very sick a few years ago.  Everyone thought I was going to die.  After spending 7 months in the hospital, I remarkably survived.  Even the doctors were shocked when I came out of it alive.  However, I was no longer able to work or drive.  I now depend on these forms of transportation and can’t say enough good about them.
The drivers are delightful and have made me feel so much better about losing my independence…  They are absolutely wonderful!”
*Mary Lou B., regular Hyde Shuttle and Volunteer Transportation client

Her story echoes that of many other clients who unexpectedly have to stop driving after overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles.  As always, we are humbled and inspired as we learn the stories of Mary Lou and others like her who have beat the odds and triumphed in the face of adversity.