So we have a couple of tiny geeks in training who live in our house. As I have mentioned before, we grew our family through international adoption and our babies are cute little elfish creatures, ages 2 and 4. Now, our youngest has a significant vision impairment due to Albinism. The iPad, which was already an MVP in this house, has become a real lifeline of learning for our little geekling. Even at her tender age it has allowed her to experience and learn things visually in a way that works for her. Many kids with visual issues have found the iPad to be a life-altering adaptive tool.
Well, woe to the geek republic, my little girl dropped it. It was in a Targus case but it landed hard on it's edge on the top of the table. It wasn't a big fall but just hard enough and at the right angle to create a spider webbing across the glass.
That night we packed up the collective and drove to the nearest Apple store, which is about an hour away. I was totally prepared to pay whatever it took for a repair after we spent the whole day listening to a very upset little girl cry over the iPad being off limits. We only allow her two short iPad sessions a day but once you say no to a toddler over something she had come to rely on....life can be HELLISH.
So there I was, sitting in the Apple Store, waiting for my genius with my little creature tucked in her stroller. I was pacifying her with my iPhone and she was using it like a PRO. Half the people in there looked at her with nerdy admiration (those are my peeps) the other half were various people who scowled at me for allowing my child to place a screen so close to her face. I forgive them. They just don't know that that is how she sees. I still want to karate chop people in the throat from time to time but generally I stay calm.
Anyhoo, a manager came over to chat with me and she saw my little girl and I explained about her vision issues. The manager, who had just returned from opening an Apple Store in Hong Kong, knew the province in China that my daughter is from, she understood not only the complications people with Albinism encounter in China but also the unique vision issues these kids have. It was amazing to me. Her interest, compassion and spirit were just wonderful. :)
She informed me that Apple makes it a priority to keep it's technology available to kids like mine and that she would be happy to replace our ipad2 for free. I was stunned. And overjoyed and a little verklempt. I can never thank this person enough. It was so generous and kind hearted. To the rest of the world I'm just an ordinary mom with a cute blond kid who lets her baby place technology too close to her face. This person saw past that with compassion and understanding.
Now, this is not the end of the story. In my Apple-blissed state I left my wallet there. I had no idea where I had left it, I just knew it was lost for two weeks now. The only cards in it were a gift card and my insurance card because for some reason I put my debit in my pocket. Yesterday we get an email from our health insurance company. An Apple rep had found my wallet, waited to see if I would come in to retrieve it and when I didn't they contacted my health insurance company and asked them to track me down and they did! Again, shocked at the kindness and effort of everyone involved.
Over the years I have spend a LOT of money on Mac products. Yes, I will wait in line for a new release and if I ever met The Woz in a line I would likely spaz out, drop my iPhone and have to purchase another. I am convinced that this is one company with it's moral compass still intact. Now, I know that twenty other people will email me saying just the opposite. Blah blah blah.
Thank you Apple for being so generous, making products that are bordering on magical and for employing such decent human beings!
Here is another story of how the iPad is transforming lives for children like mine.
