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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHow a vacuum salesman invited to a birthday party for a child with autism moved the room to tears
What a nice story to start off your Tuesday morning."CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. Ever since he was a two-year-old boy, Dylan Greene has had a passion for vacuum cleaners. Dylan, who has autism, was never into normal toys, his mother Jodie said. The Swift Creek Middle School student turned 14 years old over the weekend and celebrated his birthday with a party that included close friends, family and a vacuum salesman.
You see, in an effort to help make her sons birthday even more special, Jodie Greene sent the following email to the Kirby Company, the Cleveland-based makers of the Kirby vacuum.
'I am reaching out to you in hopes for an answer to an unusual request for my son who is autistic. He has always been obsessed with vacuum cleaners. His favorite is the Kirby. He spends hours every day watching videos on his tablet about different Kirbys. When he isnt watching videos about them, he is talking about them. I really would LOVE to get a demo done for him for his birthday. In fact, I am even getting him a cake made that looks like a Kirby vacuum. I am writing to you in hopes that you can get me in touch with a way to get him this demo. I want to be clear that I do not intend on purchasing a Kirby. I was hoping that I could pay a flat fee or thought that maybe if you have salesmen in training that needs to get in practice demos for training purposes. I do not want anything free, but as the mother of a special needs child, it is so hard to find things to make my son happy. I know that having this demo done would just be so awesome, and it would warm my heart to see him so excited to experience that.'
The company received Jodies email and made her sons birthday dream come true. In addition to sending Dylan a soccer ball, hat and t-shirt with the Kirby logo, Kirby salesman Al Archie traveled from Fredericksburg to Chesterfield to perform a vacuum demonstration at Dylans party..."
More: http://wtvr.com/2015/01/19/kirby-vacuum-birthday-party/
ND-Dem
(4,571 posts)jmowreader
(50,562 posts)According to the article, the Kirby rep gave him all the equipment you see in the picture of him.
His mom is probably equally delighted: those monsters are about $3000 apiece.
Response to Contrary1 (Original post)
1000words This message was self-deleted by its author.
JI7
(89,262 posts)in toys and activities that kids/boys are "supposed" to be into.
brer cat
(24,592 posts)Some parents are clueless...these are top of the line. Kirby deserves a huge
calimary
(81,437 posts)Thanks so much for finding it, Contrary1!
A VERY smart salesman - and one with a heart. I hope his boss gave him a bonus.
PotatoChip
(3,186 posts)As odd as that sounds...
Seriously though, they are very hardy machines. I bought mine in 1997 and it's still as effective as the day I got it. At the time, I felt guilty spending so much on a vacuum cleaner, but it has more than paid for itself.
Nice story. I'm glad that the young man had such a fun and memorable birthday. Kudos to the mom too!
Scuba
(53,475 posts)... are nice, but why didn't they give the kid a vacuum?
jmowreader
(50,562 posts)Scuba
(53,475 posts)mnhtnbb
(31,401 posts)Our oldest son LOVED vacuums when he was a toddler. For Christmas when he was 3, my husband and I spent
a couple of hours putting together a bouncing rocking horse. Thought he'd love it. But what did he go for
on Christmas morning? Straight to the big red Shop-Vac my husband had bought for use in the basement
and put out with a big red bow on top of it! He did eventually outgrow his fascination with vacuums, and
now has a roomba for his house!
nykym
(3,063 posts)Guess he really cleaned up!
randome
(34,845 posts)[hr][font color="blue"][center]A ton of bricks, a ton of feathers, it's still gonna hurt.[/center][/font][hr]