The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
An 11th hour internet appeal saved Christmas for Angus lad Cam Mackenzie, 9. Picture: Dougie Nicolson.
Nikki saves the day with offer of the gift Cam wanted more than anything else
Christmas was saved at the 11th hour for a young Bob the Builder fan from Carnoustie.
Graham and Farrah Mackenzie’s Christmas Eve social media appeal came up trumps with just enough time to spare for Santa to deliver a vintage electronic workbench to Bob’s biggest fan.
Their son Cam suffers from autism, which impacts his ability to communicate.
Mum Farrah said he has asked for just two things in the past nine-and-a-half years, the first being last Christmas Eve when he asked for a vintage Bob the Builder hat that opened up with mini Bob figures.
“Cam’s special interest is purely Bob the Builder, who is now classed as ‘vintage Bob’,” she said.
“As he doesn’t like the new CGI version, we tend to pick up most of his Bob stuff at car boot sales and on ebay.
“Obviously those options aren’t open to you on Christmas Eve.
“But last year the power of Facebook saved Cam’s Christmas.
“I put up a post and a lady in Forfar
“
...we cannot begin to say thank you as this lovely woman has truly shown the spirit of Christmas
sent me a message to say she had the Bob hat and we could have it.”
This year Cam did it again and came down the stairs on Christmas Eve afternoon asking for a vintage Bob the Builder electronic work bench he found on Google.
Graham and Farrah laughed at what she described as another impossible challenge.
Farrah posted the request in every Facebook group she could think of and hoped someone would come up trumps.
She found two on Gumtree, but they were in London and Glasgow, so there was no way they would arrive in time for Christmas.
Farrah said: “We reconciled ourselves that we could sort the Glasgow one for his birthday in February and then once again Facebook came up trumps.
“Spookily it was from a childminder in Forfar who had one in her shed, which she wanted us to have.”
Childminder Nikki Reid was delighted she could save the day for the family, which also includes Cam’s younger siblings, seven-year-old twins Craig and Freya.
Farrah said: “My husband was immediately dispatched to collect, and we cannot begin to say thank you as this lovely woman has truly shown the spirit of Christmas to our darling boy.”
Farrah said she would also like to thank the people who invented Facebook for saving Christmas.
But she’s admitted she’s hoping there isn’t a third time next Christmas.
“I’m not sure the stress levels can take it,” she added.
gstrachan@thecourier.co.uk