A Thanksgiving to Rememberby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 25 Nov 2008 08:55 PM It will be a Thanksgiving to remember for the Reyes family this year. Despite the fact that they lost their home plus all of their belongings in the recent wildfires that scorched thousands of acres in Los Angeles County, mom Jan says the family will be counting their blessings tomorrow. Jan and the rest of her family, including her 7-year-old son Jonathan were able to escape the wind-blown blazes without suffering major injuries. That's the good news. The bad news is that Jonathan, who has autism, lost every single one of his beloved Hot Wheels. The boy had reportedly spent more than half his life collecting 500 of the toy vehicles and meticulously arranged them according to color. But, in the blink of an eye Jonathan's entire collection went up in smoke. The Reyes' heartbreaking tale was featured on CNN. The cable news channel broadcast video of young Jonathan clinging to a piece of charred metal-- all that was left of his massive toy car collection. You may have missed the CNN piece, but fortunately, the folks at Mattel didn't. After seeing Jonathan's story, Mattel (which makes Hot Wheels) sent the boy two big boxes filed with Hot Wheels racetracks, play sets, stickers, folders, T-shirts, hats and hundreds of toy cars. "He was speechless," Jan Reyes told CNN. "He didn't say anything. He just smiled. He opened it up. It was like Christmas. All of us were bawling, crying. He was so happy." "We wanted to send as many as possible," said Deborah Dicochea, associate manager of the Mattel Children's Foundation, which sends toys globally to children affected by crisis. "With autistic children, they like sorting them, arranging them." According to psychologists, toys are like anchors for children with autism who thrive on consistency. Jonathan's mom echoed that telling news crews that the fire and subsequent lose of their home has taken a toll on her son, who has been throwing tantrums as he faces unpredictable changes on a daily basis. Having the Hot Wheels has been a source of comfort in Jonathan's life, according to his mom. What's more, Jan says the fact that her son has some semblance of normalcy back in his life means the world to her. "The cars were like gold," she said. "It's wonderful, because he literally lost every toy he had and he had a personal attachment to all of his toys. Part of autism is they have a little connection to everything and his biggest connection was to those cars." In addition to the Hot Wheels, the Reyes family has also been offered numerous financial donations, a computer, and other toys for Jonathan. Hat's off to Mattel for making a mother who lost practically everything feel as though she is the luckiest woman alive, for giving a little boy back his beloved treasures, and for giving me hope that this world is not completely ruled by heartless corporate raiders. Related Articles: Desperate Dad vs. Unsympathetic Electric Company Parents Coming to Their Children's Defense A Father's Touching Tribute to His Infant Son Has Becoming a Parent Made You a Better Person? Can You Miss Your Kids Too Much? Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevantparenting tags User Comments  Michele Cheplic |
Parents categories |
