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One mom's marker-quest for her son with autism goes viral

Stacey Haley turned to Facebook to help her find Crayola "primrose" markers for her 12-year-old son.

One mom's marker-quest for her son with autism goes viral

Photo: Bernard Weil/Toronto Star

Does your kid have a favourite colour? Stacey Haley, a mom in Bowmanville, Ont. helped make her son's dream come true by stockpiling a specific colour of Crayola marker—"primrose" purple, to be precise.

For William, a 12-year-old boy with autism, this very specific colour is more than just a marker, it's a security blanket. His mother says it's difficult to get him onto the school bus without it. Within six months, Haley had already spent between $300 to $400 on Crayola products just to extract the primrose marker from each pack.

Haley reached out on Facebook, asking if other parents were willing to swap their primrose markers. With over 1,000 shares it ended up going viral—so viral that Crayola Canada contacted Haley.

Now, with over 25 markers at home and more to come (donations have been left at her door and her church), Haley said that they have more than enough for the time being. Instead, she is encouraging people to help others with autism.

"There are always plenty of families in need," she said in a recent Toronto Star interview. "Maybe there is some way to help them."

Visit Autism Speaks Canada for resources and more information on how to donate.

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Read more: 10 tips for helping children with autism> Meet Julia, Sesame Street's first character with autism> Best books about autism>

This article was originally published on Dec 02, 2015

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