LIVONIA, Mich. (WXYZ) — At Christmas time, we’re reminded that the smallest connections can lead to the biggest surprises.
Watch Carolyn Clifford's video report:
What started as a simple meeting ended with a moment that felt like holiday magic. Kimberly Snider, a substitute teacher with special needs, met 7 News Detroit at our 10th Let’s Talk event at the Coach's Corner Bar & Grill in Livonia.
She came to ask for help expanding bus service hours for people with different abilities like her.
“Livonia only has one service that just goes citywide and it only runs Monday through Friday,” Snider said.
She has to rely on her mom, who says a limited bus service makes everyday life a lot harder. Snider was born with cerebral palsy but knows how to bring about change.
In high school, she fought for an elevator, lowered drinking fountains and a ramp at graduation to cross the stage to receive her diploma.
“She told them I am going to cross the stage with the rest of my class, so they built a ramp system for her to get up on the stage,” Snider’s mom Loanne said.
That was the 90s now. In 2025 at age 48, Kimberly Snider is still fighting for people with different abilities.
But during our Let's Talk, Kimberly Snider had a chance encounter from someone who made a life-changing difference in her life, Scott Cashero.
“I had seen pictures of her. So she came right to me, wheeled up right next to me, so it was just unbelievable,” Cashero said. “Then she mentioned Scotty, her angel, so I go oh, man."
Kimberly Snider said "when he said he was Scott Cashero, I knew by the smile, because that's a famous smile... Everybody knew Scott because of his smile. He was friends with everybody."
Cashero’s son, his namesake, known for his big smile, befriended Kimberly Snider in high school but was killed in a car crash a couple years after graduation.
“Three kids in the car and got in an accident. He was thrown from the vehicle, so he passed away,” Cashero said.
That was nearly 30 years ago. Ironically, Cashero’s sister saw a story about Kimberly Snider’s GoFundMe to buy a new specialized wheelchair that was not covered by insurance.
“My daughter went and met with her and her mother and then came back and got with me and told me the story and she said “let’s buy it,’” Cashero said.
Watch when we met Kimberly Snider and Scott Cashero during Let's talk below:
The wheelchairs only last three to five years. Kimberly Snider stretches that to 10 years.
“(Insurance doesn’t) cover it because they consider standing a luxury,” she said.
For Kimberly Snider, it's freedom and much more.
“When I first stood up, I could give my mom a hug and she was crying, and I realized when I stood up, people saw the person and not the chair,” she said.
The price tag was nearly $100,000. It took two years to raise $60,000. Cashero’s company donated the rest.
“That’s a lot of money. I was in tears,” Loanne Snider said.
Cashero had hoped to meet Kimberly Snider one day. Thanks to a little holiday timing and a lot of good energy in one room, that wish came true at Let's Talk.
“I get more out of it than she does, I think, so she’s the inspiration... and I can see that. So for me to be able to be a part of it is a blessing,” Cashero said. “It’s just for me to be able to be part of it is a blessing."
As for the added bus hours for those with different abilities, the mayor responded to us saying in part:
“The funding to support that level of expansion is not available. We will continue to pursue opportunities that allow us to grow the program in a responsible and sustainable way.”
