At the best of times children are imaginative, curious, and have a tendency to do what they will.
That’s all well and good, except it makes the lives of parents somewhat difficult when it comes to taking their kids to public places. Take cinemas, shopping malls, grocery stores and the like.
David Burke, whose 10-year-old son Jay was born with Down’s syndrome, knows all about how trying it is when your child has his heart set on doing something other than simply what he or she is told …
For Jay Burke, a young boy born with Down’s syndrome, accompanying his dad to food store Tesco is an exciting experience. He’s fascinated with all the comings and goings; enamoured with the things around him.
At the same time, David admits it’s not a straight forward process. “Shopping with a child with special needs is difficult,” he the told Daily Mail.
One particular day in the supermarket would prove to be a memorable one. When they were done with their shop and waiting to pay, Jay couldn’t help but play at a closed checkout. He created his own line of goods and began to “scan” them himself.
David tried to dissuade his son, but Jay was determined: He wanted to be one of the staff.
Nice gesture
When boss James caught sight of Jay at the checkout, he realized the 10-year-old boy had no intention of stopping. In such a situation, many managers might have intervened and made an issue of things, but not James. Instead, opened a new checkout specifically so the boy could scan his own items.
Jay was given the chance to fulfil his dream and be a part of the work team. He greeted customers happily and conversed as he scanned.
For dad David, it was a proud moment.
“A massive well done to the staff – Jay was thrilled to bits,” he told BBC News.
“Jay really is ray of sunshine and this really highlights that when you show children with special needs a bit of patience and compassion, they return the favour by putting a smile on your face,” David told the Daily Mail.
When a fantastic gesture from this store! It warmed my heart to see how happy Jay was when he got to fulfil his dream. Please share this article if you also thought it was a nice moment.
Watch the clip below to see Jay in action:
