Everyone at our Stoke Park store in Ipswich is getting behind seven-year-old Dejah Robinson's campaign to spread a little happiness around the world by passing on the glittery sunflowers she makes.
Dejah, who's often in pain due to a cyst and hole in her shin bone, visits the store most days with her mum Lindz, and brings in the cardboard flowers she makes.
She gives them to our colleagues to make them smile and asks them to pass the sunflowers on so that they in turn can spread happiness among their friends – and people including colleagues from the store have been posting photos of themselves with the flowers in locations around the world on Dejah's Operation Spread A Smile Facebook page.
Dejah has formed a close bond with colleagues including the store's community champion Teresa Davidson, who says she's inspired by Dejah's attitude, and now wants more people to support about Dejah's campaign.
Teresa said: "I have personally never met a kinder, more caring little girl than Dejah. She's already a champion in our community and has a true heart of gold.
"Everyone loves her here. Her thinking behind the sunflowers was that if she could make 200 people smile by giving them a sunflower, how many more would be smiling if the sunflower was passed on. It's such a lovely idea and such a kind thought. I have passed on two sunflowers and Dejah has just brought me in two more to pass on, and it's working really well."
Dejah, who lives just two minutes away from the store, said: "I love to make people smile – it makes the world a better place. I'd like to help spread happiness around the country and eventually the world."
Dejah originally made 200 sunflowers like this one and often comes into our store to hand them out to colleagues so they can be passed on to other people – and they're proving so popular she's now made 200 more.
To help her continue spreading smiles, Teresa is inviting Dejah into the store to give her some stationery and supplies so that she can produce more sunflowers.
Celebrities such as Holly Willoughby and former Hollyoaks actors Danny Mac and Carley Stenson have been seen with them and sent Dejah messages of support:
Soooooooo... yesterday this happened ❤🥰😘 anyone who knows dejah will know she is never speechless 🌻a huge thank you to...
Posted by Dejah's Operation Spread a Smile on Friday, November 22, 2019
Beautiful smiles from these two celebs ⭐big thank you to carley stenson and danny mac for sharing dejahs sunflower ⭐ and to kirsty for passing it on 🌻❤🥰 thank you for spreading the smiles 🌻❤
Posted by Dejah's Operation Spread a Smile on Sunday, November 24, 2019
Store manager Alan Pearson is proud to support Dejah's campaign. He took his sunflower to the Caribbean and says other colleagues have taken them on their holidays to hand them out.
Alan said: "We all love Dejah here. She is a true inspiration for colleagues and customers. She knows everyone here and she says hello to everybody when she comes in.
"She's just an endearing little girl who lights up everywhere she goes with her smile. We're all so proud to be supporting her and we are passing on her sunflowers and posting pictures of them on her Facebook page. I wish more people in the world were like Dejah.
"Despite the issues with her with her leg she never refers to it or complains – she is remarkable. So modest too."
Dejah's mum Lindz says colleagues are wonderful with Dejah – especially Teresa.
She said: "Dejah just loves Teresa. Whenever she sees her she goes up to her and gives her a cuddle. She has a lovely smile and is so good to Dejah. When Pudsey Bear came into store for Children in Need, Teresa arranged for him to meet her and she loved it.
"Asda colleagues have been very supportive of Dejah – they all know her and know what she's been doing.
"When the store manager took his sunflower on holiday with him then posted a photo of it on Dejah's Facebook page she was so excited. She kept saying 'look it's the man from Asda!'"
Dejah's had a number of operations and a bone graft on her leg and had to spend 18 months on crutches. She's often in a lot of pain – but that hasn't stopped her from putting others first.
Dejah, who goes to nearby Gusford Primary School, has helped out at a care home and made Christmas boxes for paramedics at Ipswich Hospital, the neonatal unit and the MacMillan Day unit.
Lindz said: "I know her she's my daughter, but she is one of the kindest people I've ever known."
