Baton Rouge Rouses Market: Jack Ryan, Autistic Teen, Has Special Moment.
A teen with autism made an “instant connection” with a worker at a local grocery store and video of the pair’s encounter has gone viral overnight.
Delaney Alwosaibi says her 17-year-old brother, Jack Ryan Edwards, is diagnosed with autism, a disorder that makes social interactions difficult for those it affects. But Delaney says her brother, also known as “Ziggy”, felt right at home when he met Jordan Taylor, a worker at the Rouses on Drusilla Lane.
Delaney says her father Sid brought Jack Ryan to the market as usual, but things went a little bit differently during this most recent visit. Jack Ryan spotted Taylor stocking shelves and decided he wanted to lend a helping hand. The young Rouses worker apparently went out of his way to let the teen take a shot at stocking the shelves.
“This young man took the time to slow down and allow Jack Ryan to help for over 30 minutes, guiding him as he finished his task,” Delaney said in the now-viral Facebook post. “He could have ignored him. He could have made an excuse and said he couldn’t allow him to help. Instead, he let him have his moment and in turn gave my family a moment we will never forget.
Delaney says her family frequents that store, but they’ve never seen Jack Ryan go to work like he did Monday. She says she could tell her brother and Taylor formed an immediate connection thanks to his patience.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the video had been viewed nearly 250,000 times.
