When was the last time you were inspired? We tend to live in a world that does not inspire us very often. We may even look for inspiration, but it doesn’t come around frequently. That is why it is important for you to grab hold of any inspiration that comes your way, and this story is sure to provide it in great measure. It involves a man who has autism and what a community was willing to do to help him.
The man’s name is Cobey Thomas and he lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. He has autism, so he finds swinging to be both enjoyable and therapeutic. When he is on a swing, the rhythmic movement tends to calm him and work along with his sensory issues quite nicely. Jennifer Bright Thomas, his mother, said that he’s a different person after swinging on the swing set. She thinks of him as being more focused and calm after his swinging session.
Ever since he was a young child, he used the swings to cope with the sensory issues he was dealing with. He started to outgrow the swings, however, when he got older. The seats were meant for small children and they started to pinch his hips and became dangerous for him to sit in. He continued to grow taller, finally growing as tall as 6’10”.
He would go to the local park to swing but would come home with bruises on his body. His mother knew that she had to find a way to provide him with swing therapy. After asking people in the town where they live, she quickly learned that most companies would not take on the job of building a large swing set. They were concerned about insurance liability.
Jennifer was frustrated and tried one more company, and things started to change.
Mr. Handyman, owned by Alan Ellison decided to step in and work on the project. He said that Knoxville had always been good to his needs so he wanted to give back to the community. He told his team that they would be building this new swingset and everyone felt it was the right thing to do.
“We just get excited about those types of opportunities to give back,” he said. They began work just before Christmas to build a 10-foot swing in the Thomas’ backyard.
Everyone helped to build the swing and Cobey was anxious to give it a try. He jumped on the swing and started pumping his legs. Meanwhile, some of the construction workers had to step aside because they had tears in their eyes. Everybody was happy that he finally had his wish.
Jennifer said that this was only the beginning of the good news. She was worried about the cost of the project as she was watching the workers putting it together. When the day was over, Alan came up and told her that there would be no charge for the swing set. Everybody who worked on it and agreed it would be a gift.
“It was like the best Christmas gift ever!” said Jenifer. “It was just such a kind gesture. They didn’t have to do that.”
When a community comes together to help someone, it’s always a beautiful thing. Alan knew that he could provide this family with something they could use and it gets used every day.
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Source: Inspire More