A Mom Saved 20 Children From A Burning Bus – But Ellen Was Appalled By Her Lifestyle

Renita Smith had no thoughts for her own safety when she dashed into a flaming school bus in Baltimore, Maryland, to rescue the 20 young children on board. That act of bravery caught the attention of Ellen DeGeneres, who dug into story. When she found out some shocking details about Renita's life, Ellen knew she had to invite the heroic mother of two onto her show for answers.

Big Responsibility

As the bus driver, Smith naturally felt that the young kids were her responsibility until she got them home from school. Moreover, having two children herself, her maternal instinct took over, and she had to double-check that no one had been left behind after emptying the bus.

A Real Hero

But although Smith felt that she was merely doing what anyone else would have done, others saw her bravery for what it was. Images of the school bus inferno circulated around the internet, and news outlets spoke of the driver’s bravery. She was then hailed a hero by students and the public alike as her story began to spread. And one particular admirer penned a post that would go viral.

Disturbing Footage

Yes, City of College Park council member Fazlul Kabir published a post on Facebook that month – complete with photos of the burned-out bus. And alongside these devastating images, a video of the inferno was shared. The footage had been captured on the dashcam of a volunteer firefighter and was subsequently shared to news outlets. So, with all of this media attention, naturally it wasn’t long before the story caught the attention of DeGeneres.

Appalling Details

However, there was something about Smith that wouldn’t impress DeGeneres. When the TV host learned of the heroic bus driver’s background, you see, she discovered some facts about her life that she found pretty appalling. And so, DeGeneres invited the mom of two onto her show to try and make things right.