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.
You’re right. They’re good vacuums, but they’re built like a mark IV panzer. It will be “the last vacuum you ever own” because you’ll have a stroke trying to push it around your living room.
CC
I’ve heard that complaint about Kirby.
The three I’ve owned are self driven and you pull em with one finger.
I sold Electrolux for two months 30 years ago and they are excellent tools as well.
I had a Dyson.....after warranty expired, frame cracked entirely in half, rendering it useless. I replaced it with the Shark. Happy as can be!
Good for Kirby!
The kid's autistic. He's obsessed with Kirby, nothing else will do. Don't expect it to be entirely rational.
One of the most successful kids in my high school class was a Kirby salesman.
Temple Grandin is a hero to me and to many others. May every person with an autism spectrum disorder be so fruitful. Blessings to your child.
Yes. And if something’s flammable, then it’s inflammable.
Actually, the reason I personally fell in love with Kirby vacs was because I could push it with one finger. I am disabled so that was a plus. I have a love for multi purpose tools that work really well.
That was a kewl story about the boy. Since it was the first thing I read when waking up, it set the tone for my day. Thank-you!
It’s beautiful and points out the lies of the Left. Businesses are made up of real people and they’re good. I bet there are hundreds of similar stories every day, but we never hear them.
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