Boss is the real McCoy for Lucas!
A BUSINESSMAN has stepped in to stop an autistic boy from going hungry during the coronavirus crisis.
Lucas Buckley, eight, has eaten almost nothing but McCoys flamegrilled steak crisps for the past four years.
The youngster can consume up to 20 packets a day – leaving his mum Amanda with a constant challenge to stock the house.
With panic shopping rife across the country, Amanda was beginning to struggle more than usual to find her son’s favourite food.
She told the Examiner that she hadn’t slept for three nights worrying about where she was going to get Lucas’ supply over the coming days and weeks.
Lucas, who attends Woodley School in Huddersfield, is profoundly autistic and has never spoken in his life.
But Amanda said he would still get very upset if he couldn’t get the only food he likes.
The mum-of-two, from Gomersal near Cleckheaton, said: “He’s only eaten those particular crisps for about four years now.
“He’s always preferred savoury food and he’s only really eaten crisps or McDonald’s chips for years now.
“It was getting impossible to find any, especially at the moment with what’s going on.”
But Martin Kilgallon, managing director of FM Taste Ltd, a vending machine business based in Batley, has now partially solved her woes.
Martin, who is from Mirfield and has autistic children of his own, used his connections in the snack industry to source Amanda two boxes.
Along with others collected by the family, she now has about 140 packets but will need more in about a week’s time.
She added: “I’ve tried to get a direct supply from McCoys but I’ve never been able to get hold of anyone.”
Martin, who with his wife AnneMarie, set up the charity The Whole Autism Family, is used to the extreme behaviour of autistic children but said he was still ‘gobsmacked’ to hear that Lucas only ate one type of crisp.
“I keep the Tayto crisps in stock and I said will he eat them but she said he wouldn’t, so I managed to get hold of two boxes from a contact, which I’ve had expressed up.”
Amanda said her problem could get worse if Woodley school shuts due to coronavirus.
As of 3pm yesterday it was unclear if the school for children with special needs was getting special dispensation to stay open.
She added: “It’s very hard telling a child that doesn’t speak that he can’t have the only crisps he likes.
“I’m having to go round searching supermarkets for them.
“If he’s off school it’s going to be even harder.”