Little Alexa Burke loves her George jumpsuit so much she never wants to take it off – so her mum Tanya was desperate when she found out it had been discontinued and she couldn’t buy any replacements.
She posted an appeal on Facebook and when our colleagues spotted it they worked together to track down the last three remaining samples at our supplier’s factory in India.
Lisa Wilkinson from our Hessle store in Hull handed them over when Tanya and Alexa came in to do their regular shop. Four-year-old Alexa has non-verbal autism and a range of other health issues – and Tanya said: “What Asda have done is brilliant. Alexa is so happy – and so am I!
"I wasn’t expecting them to do this, but it’s so helpful because it means I don’t have to worry about not having any spares. I'm really grateful.
“She really seems to have taken to the jumpsuit. Apart from her school uniform it’s the only thing she’ll wear. We’ve tried others but she’ll only wear this one, so I was really disappointed and worried when I found out they had been discontinued. That's why I put an appeal out on Facebook – but I’m so happy to have these new ones."
Alexa has severe sensory needs which mean she can’t speak, though she loves music and dancing.
"She can’t really communicate with you,” said Tanya. "But you can tell she really likes this jumpsuit because she won’t take it off, and when you get it out for her to wear she starts jumping and down and waving her arms!"
Alexa also has Pica, a disorder which means you eat things you’re not meant to – including clothes.
Tanya said: "Alexa nibbles her clothes, so we go through them very quickly. Having these spares of her favourite jumpsuit makes a big difference.”
Lisa, who’s our Hessle store’s community champion, presented the replacement outfits to Tanya and Alexa.
She said: "You could tell how happy Alexa was when she saw the jumpsuits. It’s great that she’s got spares, which makes her mum’s life easier. It’s really nice to get involved in something like this.”
Jane Harris from the National Autistic Society praised our colleagues for going out of their way to help Tanya and Alexa.
She said: "For autistic people, the world can seem full of too much information and too little understanding. Small things like clothes changing can feel overwhelming and frightening so it’s wonderful to hear about Asda going above and beyond to find her favourite jumpsuit.
“More than one in 100 people in the UK are on the autism spectrum, so we’re always pleased to hear about businesses taking the trouble to understand how autistic children and adults experience the world. We hope other retailers are inspired to follow Asda’s example.”
