Awareness for Autism has made great strides in the past decade. For those not closely familiar with the challenges of the syndrome; there are many and they are complex. The good news is that there are an abundance of professionals and resources out there that help improve the lives of those affected. One such resource is playgroups that are designed to help children with developmental and social kids. It's exactly that resource that introduced 10 year old James Groccia to his very first love -- Lego.
He was hooked.
After becoming smitten with a particular Lego item, he set out on a two year journey to save enough money. Holiday money, birthday money -- all of it went straight into the Emerald Night Train Set piggie bank.
Once James finally had his $100, his Mom was heartbroken to see that the set had been discontinued and was now at limited edition prices.
This bump in the road may have stopped most people, but James decided to reach out with a letter to the company. In it, he explained his love of Lego, his dream of owning the train set, his discipline in making that dream a reality, and the unfortunate roadblock.
THE GOODNESS
This letter may have stopped at the mailbox at most companies, but two days before James' birthday, a box arrived in the mail...from LEGO. In it, a letter read:
“The Emerald Night Train is a wonderful set, so we can understand why it is your dream to own it. I commend your willpower and patience to save money for over two years just to purchase this. We have located an Emerald Night Train for you, James, and included it in this package! I am sure you will enjoy building it and cherish your time playing with the train. Fans like you are why we are so lucky as a company. Who knows, maybe you will be working for The LEGO Group one day! You certainly have the heart and passion for our bricks to do so! Happy building, James!”
His Mom captured the pure happiness that this simple gesture by Lego provided for her son:
HOW CAN I HELP?
- Learn more about Autism: here
- Do you know someone with a child with Autism? Ask them if they simply need someone to talk to about the challenges. Go grab coffee with them and lend your ear!
- Raise money or donate to an organization focused on research for Autism. Here are a few:
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