A mum has praised Mothercare for its kind gesture to her two-year-old son who has autism and who is lost without his favourite pair of bright pumps.
Steph Opogah said six months ago she bought her son the pumps that had a toadstool and rainbow on them.
Her son loved them, because he can’t tolerate the feeling of buckles, socks or wet grass on his feet.
“Some surfaces he’s so sensitive to, he has to be carried,” the mum explained on Facebook on 8 August. “But he loved these shoes.
“A little while ago, when his toes were beginning to burst through the side of his favourite shoes, I took him back to Mothercare to try some new ones.”
The mum explained: ”This time, he wouldn’t let any other shoes touch his feet. He became totally overwhelmed and frightened if I attempted to put shoes on. The whole store was staring at us as his screams reached every corner.
“Mothercare no longer sold his favourite shoes, and he wasn’t willing to try any others. I was stuck.”
Opogah asked at the main desk if they could order some in, and was told it wasn’t an option. She called head office when she got home and said the “kind lady” there said she’d do her best to help.
Sharing the photo of a box of brightly-coloured pumps, Opogah wrote on Facebook: ”Today this arrived in the post. I am overwhelmed. I called to ask how I pay for them, and Mothercare said they were a gift and that no payment was required.
“Struggles like this are a daily occurrence for families with autism, but the journey is made so much easier when there is kind helping hands and hearts out there.”
Opogah’s post had nearly 90,000 shares in two days and nearly 10,000 comments.
One person commented: “My son has autism and I have been in a very similar situation before. I think the kindness here is wonderful, I hope to experience it too one day.”
Andy Harding, Mothercare’s chief customer officer told HuffPost UK: “We are delighted that Mrs Opogah and her son are happy with their new Little Bird shoes, and are very proud of our employees who took the initiative to arrange this kind gesture.”
Mothercare is planning to take part in the next ‘autism hour’, which will involve the store dimming their lights and turning off all music and sounds in store to allow children with autism to enjoy a stress-free shopping experience.