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Grandfather Builds School Bus Costume for Grandson in Wheelchair

Gary Mompher of Ohio creates the cardboard Halloween costume, which fits over 5-year-old Blake Mompher’s wheelchair. It includes custom lettering and four red lights.

Nicole Schlosser
Nicole SchlosserFormer Executive Editor
November 2, 2018
Grandfather Builds School Bus Costume for Grandson in Wheelchair

Gary Mompher created a cardboard Halloween costume to fit over 5-year-old Blake Mompher’s wheelchair. It includes custom lettering and four red lights. Photo courtesy Megan Mompher

2 min to read


Gary Mompher created a cardboard Halloween costume to fit over 5-year-old Blake Mompher’s wheelchair. It includes custom lettering and four red lights. Photo courtesy Megan Mompher

PROSPECT, Ohio — A man here used his artistic talent to create a school bus costume for his grandson, who uses a wheelchair, for Halloween.

The costume fits over 5-year-old Blake Mompher’s wheelchair. Gary Mompher, his grandfather, designed the costume based on a concept that came from Megan Mompher, his mother, according to ABC News. His father, Aric Mompher, provided the cardboard boxes.

Gary worked for three days in his garage on the costume, which includes custom lettering and four circular, hand-painted red lights, ABC News reports. He also created a bulldozer costume for Blake in 2016.

Megan told WSYX/WTTE that her son has “always really liked school buses.”

Blake has Spina Bifida, and has had several surgeries throughout his life, according to WSYX/WTTE. He is about to undergo bladder reconstruction surgery.

Gary said that it “was like a miracle” to see his grandson get into the costume earlier this month, ABC News reports, because last year Blake had health problems that kept him from celebrating with an elaborate costume. This year, however, Gary told ABC News that Blake “immediately started rolling the chair and trying to run me down and everybody down.”

View a video below from WSYX of Blake in his school bus costume.

MEET BLAKE: He’s 5-years-old, from Marion County and an internet sensation in his school bus costume! His newfound fame has been lots of unexpected fun for his family. And it couldn’t have come at a better time ❤️ I can’t wait to share their story! pic.twitter.com/eVdPHXd98e

— Stacia Naquin (@StaciaWSYX6) October 30, 2018

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