Te Awamutu’s Trampas Pollard was lovin’ it.
And after a video was posted on the Te Awamutu Region Community Grapevine Facebook page showing how he, mum Kaz and sister Aotea sorted his takeaway demands during lockdown, the community does too.
The clip shows 15-year-old Trampas – a Te Awamutu College Patricia Avenue School satellite unit student – being driven through a homemade McDonald’s drive thru.
Mum Kaz is chauffeur, sister Aotea the McDonald’s team member.
His favourite meal?
A ‘Big Mac hunger buster combo’.
TV dinner… Aotea helps Trampas pay for his latest order.
Trampas lives with autism and a daily routine makes him feel safe, so his week is marked by key events on the same day.
Friday is lollies from College Superette day. Saturdays are chicken nuggets and chips from Pirongia’s Mountain View Bakery day, and Mondays are McDonald’s day.
The McDonald’s driveway drive-thru was an effort to restore “some level of normality” for Trampas.
“He is an amazing person it’s just that living with autism means he sees the world in a unique way,” Kaz said.
“The smallest change “freaks Trampas out”.
“He knows something is different – but at home our goal is to keep life full of fun and laughter.”
The video she posted has more than 700 likes and 200 comments since it was posted.
The car loops around the driveway to meet Aotea, the McDonald’s worker.
Trampas orders, swipes his Eftpos card – through a sky remote – and pays.
“She’s great with him, really loving and caring. It’s very special.”
Aotea then hand delivers Trampas’ order.
Even the seemingly small aspect of Trampas paying was intentional.
“He’s seen me do it lots of times – so paying for himself would have made him feel like king of the world.”
The clip has received international attention – on a United Kingdom-based parenting Facebook page and a New York firm wants to put it on their “viral video” website.
Kaz is a “part-time farmer, full time career and mum” and runs Inspire Belief.
“Trampas has completely changed me in such good ways, ways I could never have imagined.”
She’s also full of praise for Aotea (13) – in her first year at Te Awamutu College.
“She’s great with him, really loving and caring. It’s very special.”
When Trampas visits the doctor, being there in person makes his day.
And so, on an Easter Saturday, Trampas became Mahoe Medical Centre’s first lockdown video call patient.
“After the doctor made himself available to talk, Trampas left that call ecstatic.”
Between now and the end of lockdown the goal is clear.
“We’ll focus on as many normal things as possible.”
Trampas, Aotea and Kaz.
