Yahoo News Thousands Rally to Help a Mom Find This Discontinued Blanket for Her Autistic Son
It's not uncommon for kids to hold on to a security blanket, but for Crystal Eldridge's son, Parker, his blanket was so much more important. The two-year-old boy, who is non-verbal and has autism and sensory sensitivity, sees the blue blanket as the only thing that brings him comfort, his mom tells TODAY.
"Parker has loved this blanket since birth-I've tried over the past two and a half years to get him to accept others as his lovey, but it's been unsuccessful," she added. After years of daily use, the blanket was getting worn out, and Crystal feared that it would soon start coming apart. Hoping to find an identical replacement, the mother searched online, in baby stores, and even contacted the blanket's manufacturer, but the blanket was no longer being made.
With nowhere else to turn, Crystal sent a plea out on Facebook and messaged Christine Blackmon, who moderates the popular Facebook group Delicate Flower, for help:
Christine then sought the help of her group's 30,000 followers to track down the blanket for Parker. The post soon went viral, as other mothers posted the call-out on their own online groups. Within a few days, Christine had two identical back-up blankets. Esmeralda Flores Diaz, from Texas, and Colleen Bethel, from Florida, came to the rescue after spotting the post on Facebook.
Esmeralda learned of the blanket search after Traci Slatten posted it in a group for local Texas moms. "It truly takes a village when having [autistic children]. I just wanted another mother to know, 'Hey, you're not alone, I totally get you," Traci shared.
Meanwhile, Colleen tracked it down after a learning that a teacher at her daughter's former daycare had one. "If it were me, I would hope that there would be someone out there to help me. I know how hard it is to raise children and it's even harder to reach out to virtual strangers for help. The strength this mom showed reaching out for her son-I knew I had to do something," Colleen told TODAY.
As for Parker, he was elated with his blankets. His mother told TODAY that he doesn't notice anything different about the newer ones; he's just so excited to have them. "Both ladies have made me such a happy mom," she said.
(h/t TODAY)
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