If you know Danny Nolin, you know his red and grey-striped t-shirt. For the past three months, it was the only shirt the 24-year-old man, dually diagnosed with Down syndrome and autism, would wear, according to his dad Greg Nolin.
“He’s got something that he enjoys wearing,” said Nolin. It’s something that makes him feel good and that’s it,” said Nolin.
Nolin bought his son’s Ocean Pacific shirt at Walmart, but after dozens of washes, it was frayed and tattered.
“The material got thinner and thinner,” said Nolin. “Sometimes he would put his hands underneath the shirt and put his finger through it and first it’s a little hole and then before you know it you got a rip six inches long.”
In search of the same shirt, Nolin combed six Walmart stores near his West Palm Beach home with no luck.
He then turned to Facebook and asked his family, friends and followers to alert him if they saw the shirt in a store near them.
“Lo and behold, there were hits upon hits upon hits on Facebook,” said Nolin.
One of the people to take up the cause was his nephew, Sean Nolin, who also happens to be a pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.
The tweet, asking for help, was retweeted more than 65,000 times.
“I was overwhelmed,” said Nolin, pointing out his goose bumps. “Overwhelmed.”
That social media response proved to be persuasive for Walmart. The retail giant dug up old archives, had the shirts specially made, and shipped 10 of them to Danny’s door for free.
“I’m so thankful to Walmart and everyone for the response,” said Nolin. “A lot of times these kids can’t do things on their own. I’m so thankful.”
Here’s to hoping these shirts last even longer than the first.
