A child with special needs is hard enough for any family. When the fragile arrangement to get that child to and from school is taken away it can be devastating.
That is the reality for parents of more than 54,000 special needs students as the school bus strike continues in the city, including one family in Queens with a boy who is deaf, partially blind and needs an oxygen tank, 24 hours a day.
Parker Chen, 4, relies on sign language to express himself. His mother, Suzanne, says he is always saying hello.
Little Parker is visually and hearing impaired, he also needs a feeding tube and oxygen tank. He is one of 325 students who rely on buses to get from their homes to the Lexington School for the Deaf in Queens -- all of them now have to make other plans.
Suzanne also has to worry about her 16-month-old daughter. Wednesday she ended up calling a livery cab. Suzanne is going to apply to be reimbursed for the car service. She is trying to be understanding on both sides of the strike, but isn't sure how long special needs families like hers can juggle all of this.
She is hoping the little mayor of Lexington will once again have his regular ride.
Monday, June 17 2013 10:52 PM EDT2013-06-18 02:52:57 GMT
Federal authorities say they've raided 7-Eleven stores across Long Island and in Virginia as part of a probe into human smuggling, identity theft and money laundering.
Federal authorities say they've raided 7-Eleven stores across Long Island and in Virginia as part of a probe into human smuggling, identity theft and money laundering.
Monday, June 17 2013 10:30 PM EDT2013-06-18 02:30:40 GMT
Photo courtesy of @N42_21_W71_04)
A train derailed in one of the East River tunnels Monday afternoon, disrupting service on the Long Island Rail Road. Westbound service between Jamaica and Penn Station is temporarily suspended.
A train derailed in one of the East River tunnels Monday afternoon, disrupting service on the Long Island Rail Road. Westbound service between Jamaica and Penn Station is temporarily suspended.
Monday, June 17 2013 9:50 PM EDT2013-06-18 01:50:24 GMT
More than two dozen family members packed a court room to support the daughter who never gave up on finding her father's killer.
More than two dozen family members packed a court room to support the daughter who never gave up on finding her father's killer. For the first time, Joselyn Martinez came face to face with the man she believes took her dad away from her when she was just a little girl.
Monday, June 17 2013 6:26 PM EDT2013-06-17 22:26:45 GMT
A man aboard a United Airlines flight bound for Newark Liberty International Airport claimed his fellow passengers on the plane had been poisoned and was screaming about going to die.
A man aboard a United Airlines flight bound for Newark Liberty International Airport claimed his fellow passengers on the plane had been poisoned and was screaming about going to die.
Monday, June 17 2013 6:03 PM EDT2013-06-17 22:03:08 GMT
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has tried to limit the size of soda consumption, ban smoking in parks, encourage bike riding and now there"s another possible plan on the table: mandate recycling of food waste.
West Side resident Matt Murphy has stored a pail of leftovers on his floor for the last two months. His building is part of the city's food-recycling pilot program. Mayor Bloomberg wants to expand the program citywide.
The body of one of three New Yorkers killed in an attack in Afghanistan is scheduled to arrive in his upstate hometown while the funeral of a second victim is being held in the Hudson Valley.
The body of one of three New Yorkers killed in an attack in Afghanistan has arrived in his upstate hometown as the funeral of a second victim was being held in the Hudson Valley.
Monday, June 17 2013 2:56 PM EDT2013-06-17 18:56:27 GMT
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and a shore community will receive more than $53 million in federal reimbursement for the cost of removing debris from waterways after Superstorm Sandy.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and a shore community will receive more than $53 million in federal reimbursement for the cost of removing debris from waterways after Superstorm Sandy.
New Jersey lawmakers are poised to take up a bill that would allow those who are in the country illegally to qualify for in-state tuition rates at state colleges and universities.
New Jersey lawmakers are poised to take up a bill that would allow those who are in the country illegally to qualify for in-state tuition rates at state colleges and universities.
