A woman has been overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers after they responded to an appeal to find a dress for her friend’s daughter who has autism.
Deborah Price said the young girl will only wear one specific dress – a long grey tunic with a rainbow heart on the front. “I asked people not to judge because in the scheme of things it doesn’t matter does it,” she wrote.
Price tweeted out asking if anyone had the dress they’d be willing to sell in age 11+, as Next no longer stock it. “She’ll eventually grow out of her fascination with this dress or not,” she posted. “Who cares. Doesn’t matter. It would just give her and her mum a bit of breathing space and make the dress stress less.”
Price said that within minutes of posting, people started to retweet and share links for the dress on eBay. Some even offered to make her another dress.
The retailer Next also saw the tweet, and explained that while it has dropped the item from its kids line, it would contact the supplier to find out if it can produce a few more batches of the dress.
One mum who had the dress in age 16 said she’d send it through, and another offered one in aged 10 sizing. “Absolutely bowled over by the kindness of strangers,” Price wrote. “Massive thanks to each and every one of you... and huge thanks to the two girls who have chosen to send their dresses.
“You’ve made a little girl really happy to continue to be in her favourite dress.”
In 2016, Tommee Tippee announced it would make 500 blue sippy cups for a 14-year-old boy with autism, because it was the only thing he would drink from. The dad said his son had drunk exclusively from that style of cup since the age of two and that he had managed to buy new ones throughout the years but was at an absolute loss with what to do when Tommee Tippee discontinued production.
HuffPost UK has contacted Next to find out if there will be a similarly happy ending to this tale – and will update this piece if the retailer responds.