Woolies staffer praised for kind act for girl with special needs

A special needs child has had the time of her life at a Victorian Woolworths this week, as a team member’s heartwarming act made her feel ‘special and accepted’.

Jodie Ingram addressed a post to the Woolworths Facebook page describing her daughter Joss’s special experience at the Sunbury Central store.

“Thank you so much to Madeline for letting my special needs daughter ‘work’ by helping pack our shopping,” Ms Ingram wrote.

“It made her feel so special and accepted; I am so grateful for your kindness and acceptance of her!”

Alongside her post, Ms Ingram shared a photograph of her daughter grinning while packing groceries with Madeline behind the counter.

Speaking to Yahoo News, Ms Ingram said that Joss suffers from a rare chromosome disorder called 10p Deletion Syndrome.

“Rather than being like the average 12-year-old, she is more like a four or six-year-old in a lot of ways,” Ms Ingram said.

“There are only about 30 known cases worldwide.

“We spend so much time expecting special needs kids to fit into the ‘norm’ of society, but it was so beautiful and heartwarming to see someone step into her world for 10 minutes and give her the time of day,” she said.

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Mother ‘surprised’ by worker’s kind act

Ms Ingram said the situation took her completely by surprise.

“My daughter wandered behind the register and I fully expected Madeline to stand there a bit stunned waiting for me to ask her to come out of there,” Ms Ingram said.

“Instead, she offered for Joss to help pack the groceries, and explained which ones would be best to go in each bag."

“She was so accommodating, so I just allowed the situation to take its course," Ms Ingram said.

“Joss was so happy to be working!”

Ms Ingram said in addition to the kind gesture, she was also very impressed with Madeline’s approach to her job.

“There wasn’t anyone behind us in line, and Madeline didn’t seem to be rushing or worried about anything,” she said.

“I just want to show Madeline my appreciation for accommodating Joss for who she is, as she is.”

Woolworths responds to staffer’s ‘thoughtful’ act

A Woolworths spokesperson has confirmed with Yahoo News that Madeline will be recognised for her efforts in accommodating Joss.

“At Woolworths, our teams strive to bring a little good to everyone everyday, and this is yet another great example,” the spokesperson said.

“Madeline's gesture was very thoughtful and we’re glad it was well-received by the customer.

“We’ve passed on the feedback to our operations team for Madeline to be recognised for going above and beyond.”

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