Meet James
James is a 9-year-old-boy. He enjoys playing and watching cartoons like any child, but James faces some challenges that other children do not. He was diagnosed with Down syndrome as a baby, which makes communicating with others difficult and challenging for James.
When his mom, LynnMarie, bought him an iPad for the first time, she realized it was so much more than just a toy. It was a valuable tool. The iPad helped James focus and stay calm, enhanced his ability to communicate with others. The iPad make life easier for James and his mother. But then, the unthinkable happened. James accidently broke his iPad right before a major snow storm.
The Mall Incident
Now, LynnMarie had to make a choice. Does she wait until the storm passes, and leave James without his valuable, life-enhancing tool? Or, will she brave the storm. Wanting to do what was best for James, she decided to take her chances and head to the mall before the blizzard hit.
When they arrived at the mall, they rushed to the Apple store. Once inside, LynnMaire began looking for a new iPad to give to James. But suddenly, something grabs James’ attention. He heard a noise in the mall. He got excited and wanted to go play, and he ran out of the store. Sadly, he did not run towards the door. He had mistaken the glass wall for an exit, and he ran right into it head first.
A loud “bang” rang throughout the entire store when James’ head impacted the glass. He fell to the ground in pain. LynnMaire was terrified as she ran to her son’s side. She did not know what to do. She could feel everyone in the store looking at her and James with their piercing judgment. Then, an employee started to approach them. What was he going to do? Everyone was stunned when they heard what he had to say. It was unbelievable.
The Employee’s reaction
James was still sitting in on the ground. His mother was more scared than he was. Was the employee going to make them leave the store? Was he going to embarrass them? Then, she was shocked. What the employee said left everyone speechless. The employee sat on the floor with them and asked if they were ok.
LynnMaire told him that James would be ok. But she had a request. She wanted to know if the employee would be willing to bring the iPad to them and complete the sale on the ground. Much to everyone’s surprise, the employee agreed. He sat on the floor with them and processed the order. Then, he continued to set up the iPad so James could use it right away.
The Follow Up
The Apple employee did not realize how much of an impact his kindness had on the James and his mother that day. But LynnMarie made it a point to reach out to Apple about her experience and how much it meant to her. She also made a Facebook post highlighting what had happened. Her post quickly went viral. This goes to show you never know how much a small act of kindness will mean to someone in need.