Boy With Mild Autism Breaks Into Tears As He Eats His First McDonald’s Since Lockdown

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When a McDonalds in Singapore reopened in May 2020 after its temporary closure since April, one little 9-year-old boy with mild autism was overjoyed.

Mom Wati Rahim shared a video of her son Adam Bin Mohammad Irwan’s adorable reaction to eating his first McDonald’s since the lockdown. The now-viral footage has warmed hearts all over the world.

At the start of the touching 2-minute-long clip, Wati is seen talking to the camera and revealing the surprise: McDonald’s chicken nuggets.

“Hello guys. I’m [getting] McDonald’s. It’s a surprise!” the mom is heard saying in the video.

Before returning home, Wati hides the surprise food treat in plain red plastic bags so her son doesn’t suspect anything. But she guesses that the tempting “smell may give it away.”

Once home, Wati arranges the treat on the kitchen table and calls Adam out to have a little chat with him, reports The Asian Parent Singapore. Seeing his mom standing outside his room, little Adam initially treats her with suspicion and runs away in fear but happens to see the surprise laid down on the table.

“I thought you wanted to scare me,” Adam says in tears while hugging his mom. Wati comforts him and joyously reveals the reason for her initial secrecy.

Pointing to the kitchen table, she asks her emotional son, “Look, what it is?” to which Adam replies, “McDonald’s,” as he breaks down in tears.

By now, the little Adam is completely overwhelmed with disbelief seeing what’s in front of him: not just a table full of delicious food from McDonald’s but a treat he was denied for weeks during the lockdown. Adam, who has mild autism and suffers from sensory issues, tearfully cuddles his mom, expressing his joy.

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It is indeed heartwarming to watch Adam’s adorable reaction tasting his favorite food after weeks. Before even sitting down to enjoy his meal, Adam picks up a chicken nugget; that first delicious bite brings him tears of pure joy. Eating a fry seems to make him even more emotional. It’s truly a delightful watch.

The thoughtful surprise from his mom makes little Adam so happy that he puts the food to his cheeks, almost hugging the yummy treat as he cries with joy. Adam repeatedly says “thank you” to his mother for the amazing surprise.

Wati told the Singaporean outlet that the reason for Adam’s “overreaction” is his mild autism and sensory sensitivity. “When he was 4, he was diagnosed as Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, then they classified him as mild autism,” Wati said.

She said Adam’s sensory reactions are more intense than normal. If a non-autistic person senses everything at a 100 percent baseline, for Adam it would be “150 percent.” “Everything is extra [for Adam],” she said.

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The viral clip didn’t go unnoticed by McDonald’s themselves. Several days after the touching video became an internet sensation, Adam’s mother posted a followup, where he was once again surprised. This time, he received a huge amount of his favorite food for free from the restaurant chain.

“Thank you, McDonald’s, for the Hari Raya treat! We shared the goodies with our neighbors, too,” the mother wrote in the caption.

When the original surprise video was initially posted on Facebook, it became a viral hit with 213,000 views and 1,700 shares. Hundreds of people wrote in the comments section to say how touched they were by the little boy’s reaction to his surprise treat.

“Sometimes the simplest pleasure in life brings so much joy,” commented one person. “The age of innocence.”

Wati, a mom of four kids, said that although it is challenging to work from home amid the lockdown with children around her looking for their dearest mom all the time, she still enjoys being at home.

“It’s super crazy but fruitful!” she said.