Online Community Joins Forces in Finding Discontinued Toy for Teen with Special Needs

• Josie, 18, took to social media to ask people how to find a discontinued toy.
• The toy was everything to her sister Rosie, 15, who has profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD).
• Thanks to the kindness of strangers, Josie and her family received dozens of Rosie’s beloved toy!

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Rosie Wheel of Coventry, England, is a 15-year-old with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). For most of her life, she has loved a toy ladybug that was first given to her at age 2. She simply loves taking it with her everywhere!

Sadly, the toy has been discontinued over a decade ago.

Her sister, 18-year-old Josie, said that they had to search for them or buy them secondhand.

Josie said, “We currently have around 15 in total but only two work. Rosie is getting more boisterous with them and due to how old they are they just aren’t holding up as long.”

Josie explained that the ladybug is more than just a toy to Rosie: “It fulfills all her sensory needs as it’s tactile, has flashing lights, and sings songs. Ladybug is her whole life, it goes on holiday with her, to hospital, she has one at school. It is the first thing she wants when she wakes up and the last thing she has before she goes to bed.”

And so, Josie took to social media and shared her sister’s story on Facebook and Twitter so she can ask for help in finding the discontinued toy.

She never expected to get so much response! After her posts got over 2 million views, the online community rallied to help her find and donate what her sister needed!

Josie said that about 50 have been found and on their way to them — and thanks to the kindness of strangers, they didn’t have to pay for anything!

She was overwhelmed with gratitude, and simply happy that her sister now has a supply of what she needs.

“Rosie is literally my best friend. I couldn’t do anything without her, so I had to do this for her,” Josie said.

A simple act of kindness really does go a long way.

Source: Inspire More