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Student gets desk as surprise
Published 11:15am Monday, December 3, 2012On Friday morning, Haily Merchant, a second-grade student at Adams Elementary, arrived in her classroom and received a huge surprise from the school’s custodian Mark Moore.
Just a little over a week ago Mechant’s wheelchair was adjusted and it was too wide to fit under the desk she had been using. The desk was replaced with a wheelchair accessible table but it did not look like the other second grade students’ desks. When Moore saw the replacement he felt that would not do. Moore asked Merchant’s special education teacher, Nancy Reard, if he could try to build her a desk that would be more accessible and fit in with the other desks better. Reard was thrilled and Moore began to work magic.
On his own time, Moore spent many hours with his friends Doug Nelson and Brian Hruby dismantling two desks, welding the various pieces together, spray painting and constructing a new desk so Haily could be like everyone else. Mark’s wife, Sue Moore, Merchant’s second grade teacher, said she came home one evening last week and found Mark with a table saw in the living room cutting the pieces for the new desk. Neither minded the mess and the construction continued. The night before the delivery Sue thought Mark would want to load the desk in his truck.
“No, we need to wait until morning,” said Moore. “We don’t want the desk to be cold and frosty when Haily gets to school.”
Haily and her family are thrilled with the wonderful gift.
“I had tears in my eyes when Mark showed me the desk,” said Reard. “I am amazed every day at how our staff goes above and beyond to do wonderful things for our kids! Haily was beaming all day! What an incredible man!”
LOVE IT!
I love these stories! Keep them coming!
This is AWESOME!!! Thank you to Mr. Moore for going above and beyond to put a smile on someone’s face. Kudos to you, Sir.