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NASHVILLE — An employee at a busy Apple store helped a mother and her young son stand tall, just by taking a seat on the floor.
LynnMarie Rink and her 9-year-old son, James, were shopping for a new iPad at a Nashville mall when suddenly, a loud bang stopped the mother in her tracks — James had run full speed into one of the store's glass walls and fallen to the ground.
"I thought, 'There's going to be a pile of blood; he just cracked his skull open,'" Rink told the Tennessean.
Luckily, the boy wasn't seriously hurt, but he also wasn't in a hurry to get up from his place on the floor. Rink said her son was quickly distracted by the hustle and bustle of the other customers, and she hoped to keep it that way.
That's when Apple employee Andrew Wall took a seat next to the pair and quietly asked them if they were OK. Surprised, Rink asked Wall if she could purchase the iPad from her spot on the floor next to her son, according to the Tennessean.
Wall happily obliged, grabbed the device and helped her place it in a protective cover she'd brought from home. He then sat next to James and gave him a little lesson on how to work his new gift.
"He might as well have given me a million dollars," Rink told WKRN News.
Rink said James has Down syndrome and autism, and that he uses the iPad to communicate. Watching Wall take the time to care for her son was reassuring and moving in so many ways.
"That moment reminded me that there are good people in this world and that there will always be people to care for James," she told WKRN.
Rink was so inspired by Wall's compassion that she decided to share their story on her Facebook page, praising the man for his actions in a tricky situation.
And then this happened....Nashville Folks - can you help me find this guy on FB? Or do you know any big-wigs at Apple...
Posted by LynnMarie on Friday, January 22, 2016
"There are no words to accurately describe how grateful I am that he took the time to 'meet us right where we were,'" Rink wrote. "He didn't have to sit down on the floor with us. He could have easily waited for us to stand. Could have easily waited for us to come back another day. But he hung out with us in the midst of our pain."
Rink's post spread across the Internet like wildfire — viewed and shared millions of times and picked up by multiple news outlets and websites. The story has even gained attention from "The Ellen Show."
Through her post, Rink was able to connect with Wall to thank him personally. She shared his response on her Facebook page.
"I began working at Apple in hopes of having fulfilling moments like this," he said. "Post-Apple, my hopes are to work within the realm of youth counseling. Thanks again for making my day!"
Rink said she hopes her story helps others think twice about meeting the needs of those around them.
"Life is a learning journey, and I walked away from this experience with the reminder to always meet people where they are at," Rink wrote. "It's so easy to be so focused on our own mission or plan (or sale) that we fail to see what people really need. … I long to not be so self-absorbed that I never miss an opportunity to love exactly like someone needs in the moment."
