Deborah Skouson called to her Facebook friends to help her out after a minor emergency. Her daughter, Cami, who has autism, is fixated on one particular shirt – a pink short-sleeved cotton tee with flower designs all over it. Cami had recently worn out the top, and it had been discontinued. Skouson asked her friends online if they could help track down an exact replica of the shirt, and in kind, she was sent 161 shirts. It’s safe to say that Cami won’t be wearing them out any time soon. [1]
While Skouson has received shirts from all over the US, she’s expecting to surpass the count of 161 as more packages are set to arrive from the UK and Germany later on this week. Cami is elated that she no longer risks her losing her favorite tee and that she can continue wearing one for as long as she can fit into them.
Cami has been fixated on this particular shirt since her mother bought it for her in kindergarten. Every time she outgrew it, Skouson would spend countless hours poring over the Internet looking for one in a larger size.
She says that she has replaced the shirt at least 4 times, though it could be closer to 5 or 6. Each time Cami’s shirt got a little too old to continue wearing, Skouson would often end up purchasing it on eBay.
Soon after posting her plea on Facebook, the Love What Matters Facebook page picked up Cami and Deborah’s story and the offers to replace the shirt came pouring in. Some people even offered to make teddy bears, blankets, pillows, and other items with the material so that Cami would always be able to have the shirt close to her.
Target stores even heard about the story and responded by telling the pair that they would find replacements for the shirt and send some their way.
“These are all total strangers. People are inherently good and kind, and I’m glad I’ve been able to be a recipient of that kindness,” Skouson wrote in the comments section of the Love What Matters post her daughter was featured on.
While Skouson offered to reimburse people for the cost of the shirt, most people simply sent it for free, with very few accepting money for shipping.
She jokingly told Huffington Post, “We don’t need any more shirts!”
Sources:
[1] Fox 2 Detroit