Tommee Tippee Is Making a Lifetime Supply of Discontinued Sippy Cups For 1 Teen With Autism
Update:
After Marc Carter's plea on Twitter for help finding a specific Tommee Tippee went viral, this dad never has to stress about tracking down another cup again β or what would happen if they can't find one.
The story first gained attention when Marc shared that his 14-year-old son with autism refuses to drink from any other cup and has previously ended up in the hospital without it. He has been solely drinking from the same cup for 12 years and that specific model is no longer available. After searching their warehouse for any leftover discontinued cups without much luck, Tommee Tippee announced that not only did they find the original mold but also that they will be making Ben 500 cups.
"We are delighted to confirm that we are able to start production on a run of the original cup," A spokesman for Tommee Tippee told BBC News. "This will ensure that Ben has a lifetime supply and that his family won't ever have to worry about finding another cup for Ben."
The company will send the cups for free, whenever the family needs. "I would not be happier if I won the lottery," Marc said. "Just knowing he has got these cups gives us peace of mind."
Original story:
For one boy, the loss of his sippy cup wouldn't just be a sad occasion. This is a major deal that could result in hospitalization so his desperate dad is asking strangers for help.
Marc Carter's child has autism and refuses to drink from anything other than this specific Tommee Tippee cup and he has been exclusively using it for the past 12 years. This particular cup has been discontinued and it is starting to fall apart from the use so Marc took to Twitter with an emotional plea.
The dad from England explained that his son would rather end up in the hospital dehydrated than sip out of anything else. "Ben is 14 and has severe autism, he's non-verbal, and has very limited understanding," Marc wrote. "The replacements are all new and fancy, we've tried them, Ben throws them at us. The one he has doesn't have long left. In all honestly we are really worried what will happen if it falls apart completely."
Marc is asking anyone with a child to check if they have this cup in any condition and is willing to pay for it as well as postage. "Ben hasn't drunk at school since the age of 5, he doesn't drink outside of the house so we can't go anywhere," Marc wrote. "People say he will drink when he's thirsty, but two emergency trips to [the emergency room] with severe dehydration say otherwise."
Tommee Tippee let Marc know over Twitter that they have a dedicated team at their headquarters searching for any of those cups in storage and told the public that if they have the same cup at home, they will send them directly to the family free of charge. According to an update from Marc, the company was able to find one, which is amazing but not enough to last Ben for the rest of his life.
"The reality is Ben is unlikely to change, I will need these for the rest of his life. That's a lot of cups," Marc wrote. It's got to be easier to collect them now than they in 10 years, less will be around then. I don't want to appear greedy, I'm being realistic."
Marc's original tweet has gone viral with thousands sharing his message. Since it was first posted, dozens of strangers have already come up with the special blue cup and his grateful dad said that enough is on the way to hopefully last a few years.