Here’s a Christmas story the way we like them: here’s how a chain of solidarity was formed across an entire country to offer 35 phones to a child. Why 35?
Christmas gift wishes from children can sometimes cause gray hairs for parents and a strain on their wallets. And sometimes gifts mostly require creativity, effort, and a little help from strangers. This is what happened to Jenni Sutinen, a Finn living in Helsinki. At the end of November she asked in a Facebook group if people could give her 6-year-old son used phones as Christmas gifts.
Jenni Sutinen said her family lost everything in the spring due to water damage in their apartment, including her son’s toys. And his son suffers from a very specific disorder, autism spectrum disorder, which brings together a set of neurobiological disorders that affect the development of so-called “autistic” people. They are characterized in particular by dysfunctions in social interactions, communication, behaviors and activities.
Since phones were her son’s favorite thing, Jenni Sutinen decided to try to collect as many as possible to give to him. “It’s not necessary for them to work, but it would be better if they can be turned on,” she wrote in her Facebook post at the time.
The mother traveled to collect the donated phones, and some were also brought or sent to her home by strangers. Eventually, a considerable amount of phones accumulated. Jenni Sutinen reports that in the end, 35 phones were used. “Some phones with broken screens had to be disposed of. And I could have gotten even more phones but ultimately had to limit their number,” Jenni Sutinen said.
According to the child’s mother, the phones brought her son joy for several days. “He plays with them from morning to evening, compares them externally, compares their clocks. There is still a lot to explore for a long time.” This story could be called a “Christmas story” because it embodies the spirit of generosity and mutual assistance, typical of this festive period. It chronicles the triumph of hope and kindness in the face of financial hardship and the challenges of a son’s autism spectrum disorder. The unexpected accumulation of phones, thanks to the generosity of the community, feels like a small Christmas miracle, bringing joy to a child.