ROSEMOUNT, Minn. — As a bus driver, Heidi Carston is used to picking up kids for school. Now, her students are the ones picking her up.
"Who knew? Who knew that a bus driver could make an impact on them?" Carston said.
Years ago, Carston left her job as a medical transcriptionist and applied to be a school bus driver. She's been a driver for Independent School District 196, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan for the past 10 years.
"I love the kids," Carston said. "They crack me up."
But life took an unexpected turn when at the end of November, Carston came home from her morning bus route to a phone call from her gastroenterologist. The biopsy showed cancer in the 64-year-old's stomach.
"In one phone call my life was changed forever," Carston said.
Carston — whose family has a history of cancer — has stage 4 metastatic gastric cancer.
"There is no cure for me at this point. It's just chemotherapy trying to get me into remission and extend my life for a little bit longer. So I'm on a new journey, different adventure now. I miss these kids every day," Carston said.
Carston started chemotherapy in January. One of the side effects is an extreme intolerance to cold.
"I knew at that point that there was no way that I could go out and work in a freezer on wheels," she said.
Carston completed her last route on bus 347 on December 13. She told her kids she would not be returning because of her cancer.
"A lot of gifts, flowers, cards, hugs... lots, and lots, and lots of hugs," Carston said. "These kids just amaze me."
The cards include illustrations of bus 347 and Carston wearing a crown with the words, "You are a warrior" on top.
One of the cards said, "Someone as incredible as you has everything you need to get through this... you are the best bus driver."
"Just thinking about all of this gives me a little more will to fight," Carston said.
"I really do miss her. I wish she was our bus driver again," said Noah Webber, 11.
Webber, a sixth grader at Black Hawk Middle School in Eagan, had only been on Carston's route since September.
When he heard about his bus driver's cancer diagnosis, he said, "I started thinking about trying to do something. I just really couldn't stand there and watch it happen. So that's why I chose to start fundraising."
He came up with a bake sale, making his grandma's homemade banana bread and then Webber found a recipe for apricot muffins. With the help of his parents, he reached out to neighbors and friends about the bake sale.
When it was time to deliver the money to Carston, Webber recalled, "My mom was like, 'Alright, are you ready to seal the envelope?' And she told me the amount and I was like, 'Wait, mom.' I went to my... money stash and I picked $26 from it and I added it to the pile to make exactly $1000."
The family delivered baked goods, a card and $1,000 cash to Carston and her husband at their home in Rosemount.
"I just couldn't even believe it. Couldn't even believe it," Carston said.
The pair met up at Carston's home for Monday's interview. Carston gave Webber a hug and said, "My whole life has just been turned upside down and there's a kid that rides my bus, that's in his kitchen, and he's baking to raise money for me. I had no idea. You're just awesome."
Webber responded to his bus driver, "You too."
If you would like to help support Carston as she navigates new expenses from her cancer diagnosis, a GoFundMe page has been set up here.
Watch more Breaking The News:
Watch all of the latest stories from Breaking The News in our YouTube playlist:
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.