An act of kindness by rank strangers towards an autistic girl has gone viral online. People responded enthusiastically to an appeal put out by a woman, to find a dress for her friend’s daughter with autism.
Deborah Price said the young girl would only wear a particular dress – a long grey tunic with a rainbow heart on the front. She wrote, “I asked people not to judge because in the scheme of things it doesn’t matter does it.”
STOP THE CLOCK! Yesterday I put a tweet out asking people if they had this Next dress from 3 years ago because my friend @mousmakes has a daughter with autism who can only wear that dress. I asked people not to judge because in the scheme of things it doesn’t matter does it. 1/10 pic.twitter.com/AbqmR4zd6z
— Deborah Price (@deborahprice1) July 7, 2019
She tweeted asking if anyone had the dress and would sell it in age 11+, since Next were not stocking it anymore. “She’ll eventually grow out of her fascination with this dress or not,” she posted. “Who cares. Doesn’t matter. It would just give her and her mum a bit of breathing space and make the dress stress less.”
She’ll eventually grow out of her fascination with this dress or not. Who cares. Doesn’t matter. It would just give her and her mum a bit of breathing space and make the dress stress less. Well you know how Twitter’s generally a bit of a bear pit these days? Well.. 2/10
— Deborah Price (@deborahprice1) July 7, 2019
She received an overwhelming number of offers with some even offering to make it for her. Next also saw the tweet, and said that although they had dropped the item from its kids line, they would ask the supplier if they could produce some more batches of it.
I don't have the dress, but if it would help I'd be happy to get some of the fabric (Is it just plain black T-shirt cotton?) and try to make a similar one for her.
— Sempronius MacDugong (@macdugong) July 6, 2019
I have it in size 12 or 13 I think.
— Katie Brand (@KtMBrand) July 6, 2019
My 12year old has got one in a size 12 years! If you send me your address we’ll pop it in the post 😘 pic.twitter.com/0FQnPcQx7Q
— Nicole Arumugam (@NicoleArumugam) July 7, 2019
4/10 it wouldn’t have worked because she needs this particular distressed jersey *textile designer face* Even @nextofficial with their great big corporate office & profit margins to watch said they’d speak to the suppliers this week & see if there was any fabric left to run up.. pic.twitter.com/71WimbzMgi
— Deborah Price (@deborahprice1) July 7, 2019
A mum who had the dress in age 16+, said she would send it to her, and another one offered to send it in age 10+ sizing. “Absolutely bowled over by the kindness of strangers,” Price wrote. “Massive thanks to each and every one of you… and huge thanks to the two girls who have chosen to send their dresses. She added, “You’ve made a little girl really happy to continue to be in her favorite dress.”
Through acts of kindness such as these, we can see that people still have a caring heart in the world, and our faith in humanity is restored through these stories.