“Gentle giant” with nonverbal autism get gift from stranger
Video Credit: Facebook/CBS News
A mother from Tennessee was left stunned after a man built her son with autism a swing set for free.
Jenifer Thomas of Knoxville, Tennessee, has an incredibly tall son named Cobey who is 6’10”.
“We always had a big swing set in the backyard, or we’d go to the park … Cobey had no interest in sitting still. But then he started getting really tall” Thomas told CBS News.
The 23-year-old used to swing at school. After he started getting tall, he faced many problems.
“He would come home and there would actually be blood on his blue jeans. He’s nonverbal, so he couldn’t tell me what was wrong, but I could kind of tell.
”
His mother told him that he couldn’t swing any more as he was now too big for swings which left him devastated.
Then, she started contacting contractors and handymen so they could build him a custom swing set.
“I thought the easiest thing to do is to start making 200 phone calls.”
“I’d say, ‘Well, he’s 6’10”, 200 pounds, he functions on maybe a 3-year-old level. They’d go, ‘Oh heck no.'”
“It became a vendetta. It became a mission,” she said.
One day, an old friend suggested her to contact a contractor named Adam Ellis who worked at Mr. Handyman in Knoxville.
Thomas knew he would also turn her down as everyone else had. But, Thomas was wrong.
“He was out here the next day,” Thomas said. And, the swing set was ready within a few days.
“I’ll never forget the day. I had this moment of bliss … but then it was over.”
She thought she wouldn’t be able to afford the swing set which cost in the thousands.
When she asked Ellis how much she owed him, he said “Merry Christmas.”
She was left stunned as it was a gift for Cobey. Ellis built the huge swing set for free for Cobey. Thomas was so grateful to him.
“Many people with autism get left behind. I’m going to make sure Cobey’s not. If this is his legacy, I’m good with that” Thomas said.
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