Mother Speechless After Handyman Builds Her 6'10" Son with Autism a New Swing Set for Free

By Amanda Thomason March 30, 2019 at 9:44am

Jenifer Thomas of Knoxville, Tennessee, is like many mothers. She loves her kids and wants them to be happy, and she’s willing to do almost anything so they can have a good life.

Even if it means searching high and low for someone who would be willing to build a supersize swing set so her incredibly tall son, Cobey, could continue one of his favorite activities.

“We always had a big swing set in the backyard, or we’d go to the park … Cobey had no interest in sitting still,” Thomas told CBS News. “But then he started getting really tall.”

Cobey would spend much of his time at parks and school pumping his legs and flying toward the sky — but when he reached 6 feet 10 inches, he ran into some problems.

The 23-year-old has autism, which makes it difficult for him to face major changes in routine — unfortunately, bringing his swinging to a halt was a serious matter, as his mother began to see that he was getting banged up by continuing to use regular-sized playsets.

“He would come home and there would actually be blood on his blue jeans,” his mother said. “He’s nonverbal, so he couldn’t tell me what was wrong, but I could kind of tell.”

She told him he couldn’t use the swing sets anymore. He was upset, and that translated to insomnia and behavioral issues. So, she decided to scale up.

“I thought the easiest thing to do is to start making 200 phone calls.”

Despite her diligence, she couldn’t seem to find any contractor willing to take on her specific case.

“I’d say, ‘Well, he’s 6’10”, 200 pounds, he functions on maybe a 3-year-old level. They’d go, ‘Oh heck no,'” she explained. “It became a vendetta. It became a mission.”

Finally, she got a recommendation for a Mr. Handyman contractor named Adam Ellis. She explained her situation and to her surprise, he was there on the following day. He got Cobey’s measurements, planned out the set and built it.

It was completed in a manner of days and, being Christmastime, they decorated the set with a bow and tinsel. Thomas said the day was unforgettable, but then her mind soon turned to the bill. She knew it wouldn’t be cheap, but it was worth her son being happy.

When asked how much she owed, Ellis told Thomas that it was a Christmas gift. She had no words, and the installation was truly a gift to both mother and son.

Cobey loved the swing immediately and will use it for hours at a time. The story has gotten a lot of attention, and Cobey’s mom just hopes it helps to bring more awareness of adults with autism.

“Many people with autism get left behind. I’m going to make sure Cobey’s not. If this is his legacy, I’m good with that,” she said.

“You know, April (Autism Awareness Month) is coming up,” she added. “I hope we can concentrate a little more on the adults. If this (story) does anything at all, it will raise awareness for the adults with autism that get forgotten.”

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