Jack Kirby, shown here with his plans for the first handheld nuclear vacuum cleaner.
Posted on 01/20/2015 9:06:27 PM PST by Rebelbase
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Since Dylan Green was 2 years old, he has had a passion for vacuum cleaners.
Dylan, who has autism, was never into “normal” toys, his mother Jodie told WTVR.
The middle school student turned 14 over the weekend and celebrated his birthday with a party that included close friends, family and a vacuum salesman.
In an effort to help make her son’s birthday special, Dylan’s mother sent an email to the Kirby Company, the Cleveland-based makers of the Kirby vacuum.
“I am reaching out to you in hopes for an answer to an unusual request for my son who is autistic. He has always been obsessed with vacuum cleaners. His favorite is the Kirby. He spends hours every day watching videos on his tablet about different Kirby’s. When he isn’t watching videos about them, he is talking about them. I really would LOVE to get a demo done for him for his birthday. In fact, I am even getting him a cake made that looks like a Kirby vacuum. I am writing to you in hopes that you can get me in touch with a way to get him this demo. I want to be clear that I do not intend on purchasing a Kirby. I was hoping that I could pay a flat fee or thought that maybe if you have salesmen in training that needs to get in practice demos for training purposes. I do not want anything free, but as the mother of a special needs child, it is so hard to find things to make my son happy. I know that having this demo done would just be so awesome, and it would warm my heart to see him so excited to experience that.”
The company received Jodie’s email and made her son’s birthday dream come true.
In addition to sending Dylan a soccer ball, a hat and a T-shirt with the Kirby logo, a Kirby salesman traveled from Fredericksburg to Chesterfield to perform a vacuum demonstration at the party.
“He knew more about the Kirby than I did,” an obviously impressed Al Archie said. “I have never experienced anything like that.”
Archie, who has been selling vacuums for Kirby for 25 years, said he was moved by Dylan’s knowledge and was taken aback by photos of a much younger Dylan dressed up as a vacuum salesman.
“I imagine it was like a sports fan meeting one of his idols, like Michael Jordan,” Archie said.
Archie also had a surprise for Dylan.
“At the end of the demonstration [he] gave my son a brand new Kirby vacuum,” Jodie Greene said. “There was not a dry eye in the house.”
Kirby vacuums are not a cheap, but Archie said he decided to get one for Dylan as a way to celebrate the child’s passion.
“I planned I wanted to do something for him,” Archie said. “[It was] an opportunity to give something back.”
Jodie Greene said her son has been over the moon ever since his birthday surprise.
“I’m going to have the cleanest carpets in Chesterfield County,” she joked.
Great story but why a Kirby? I freaking hate those!! Should have got him an Electrolux.
As long as it wasn’t an insurance salesman.
I would find a Dyson much more interesting...
The left would laugh at this and say the child should have been aborted. That’s how sick they are.
Meanwhile non-traitor Americans recognize goodness when they see it. This was beautiful.
Makes me wish I could have been there to see this.
I have two Dyson and a Kirby.
Prefer the Kirby...
Well, that sucks.
Kirby ping!
“In addition to sending Dylan a soccer ball, a hat and a T-shirt with the Kirby logo...”
I was REALLY glad the story didn’t end there.
Ever since I saw my neighbor paint his car with a Kirby, I’ve been a fan.
Oh man, what a great story! What a sweet mom for setting this up for her son, and how good of the company to respond, and how good of the salesman to give him the vacuum.
I like the suit; a nice touch.
Nice story, nice post. :)
I totally understand this mother and the boy.. My Special Grandson Andy has a fetish for locks and keys.. I found a garage sale from a former lock-maker that was selling hundreds of old broken locks and keys..
NOTHING, nothing would ever occupy more enjoyable hours than those useless tools.. The guy had some new ones that he almost gave me when I brought the boy back to meet him..
SPECIAL DAYS AND MEMORIES..
As one of my math professors used to say: a vacuum cleaner is the perfect example of a Gödel Statement in the real world, because when it sucks it doesn’t suck. But if it doesn’t suck, then it does suck.
Jack Kirby, shown here with his plans for the first handheld nuclear vacuum cleaner.
A wonderful story, very heart warming during the dark days of Obama.
Can’t stand Dyson and one has to have muscles like Phil Pfister to operate a Kirby. I like Electrolux or canister Hoovers.
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