Lynn Marie Rink took to Facebook in an attempt to find the Apple employee who comforted her son, after 9-year-old James Rink, who has Down’s Syndrome and has also been diagnosed with autism, ran into a glass wall in an Apple Store in Nashville.
According to Miss Rink, she visited the Apple Store with her son James in order to collect and set up his new iPad, but fell to the floor after accidentally running into a glass wall, with the child thinking that it was an open door. However, the kindness of an Apple employee helped her and James get through the upsetting situation,
“While looking at the iPads James must have seen something that sparked his interest in the mall, and he took off running full speed out the door. The problem was he wasn’t at the door, but at the clear glass wall. He slammed into the wall full force which knocked him over. The entire store gasped as they heard the sound of James’ head hitting the glass and then the floor.
I ran to him and tried to comfort him. James has a very high tolerance for pain, so his tears and ‘fat lip’ were brief. Mine however were not. As I hugged him sitting on the floor your employee came over and sat down next to me. He asked if he was okay and if there was anything he could do. I think it was at this point that he realized James had special needs.
“I think we’re gonna be okay,” I said. “But it looks like he’s gonna have quite a goose egg on his forehead.” Your employee asked, “What can I do for you?” (I wanted to ask for a margarita or a donut but I was pretty sure they didn’t have any of those in that secret back room.) I said, “Well, we actually came here today to buy an iPad which was donated to James, but if we’re going to proceed would you be willing to sell it to us and set it up… down here on the floor?”
And so he did. Your awesome employee sat with James on the floor of the store and set up the new iPad. There are no words to accurately describe how grateful I am that he took the time to ‘meet us right where we were.’ He didn’t have to sit down on the floor with us. He could have easily waited for us to stand. Could have easily waited for us to come back another day. But he hung out with us in the midst of our pain. He even got a fist bump from James, and I snapped this photo.”
After the post was shared thousands of times around the world, Facebook managed to pull through for Miss Rink, informing her that the employee’s name was Andrew Wall. After getting into contact with him and thanking him for taking the time out to help her and her son, Andrew replied: “Hey Lynn, I want to say thank you so much for those kind words! I began working at Apple in hopes of having fulfilling moments like this. Post Apple my hopes are to work within the realm of youth counseling. Thanks again for making my day!”
Andrew’s good deed has now been made known across the globe, and Miss Rink is campaigning for him to be featured on Ellen as part of the talk show’s #BeKindtoOneAnother campaign, which encourages viewers to share their “small, random or big, beautiful, life-changing act of kindness.”
