A train passenger who stepped in to help a mother with an autistic son has denied being a hero, claiming: ‘You just do what you can to help’.
Gayna Pealling was travelling on a train when Jack, 5, and his four-year-old sister Amy, when her son started playing up.
Instead of ignoring the situation, recruitment consultant Dan Ball, 21, started distracting and playing with the youngster, eventually calming him down.
Ms Pealling and her hero Mr Ball appeared together on ITV’s This Morning in a bid to educate others on how to help parents of children with special needs.
Daniel Ball, 21, pictured with Ms Pealling’s two children, calmed down Jack and played with him and his sister and encouraged them to draw for approximately an hour last Saturday
Phillip Schofield revealed that Mr Ball’s actions led to him receiving a standing ovation from his colleagues after a picture of the recruitment consultant (shown) on the train went viral
Speaking to presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, Mr Ball said: ‘I was just slumped in a corner after a big night out the previous day with friends.
‘All I saw was two lively kids and I could see Jack was starting to get agitated and then his mum turned around and said “jack show everyone how you can take your pills”.
‘My mum has a background working with kids with special needs and at that point I realised that he had ADHD.
‘So I just thought I’d pipe up and say “Jack, I take loads of pills every morning and it would be really helpful if you could show me how you take them”.
‘For me it doesn’t really seem that different from holding the door open for someone or holding the lift for someone. When you get opportunities to do things you just do.’
Phillip Schofield revealed that Mr Ball’s actions led to him receiving a standing ovation from his colleagues after a picture of him on the train went viral.
The recruitment consultant is now helping Ms Pealling to raise awareness for the Come to my Rescue initiative.
As part of the scheme, parents of children with special needs would wear badges making other public transport passengers aware of their presence.
Mr Ball added: ‘People who have a understanding of the wider context generally are more compassionate.
‘The go-to reaction when a kid is crying in the shop is to think that he isn’t getting the sweets he wants. But I think a lot of the time there’s underlying problems.’
Shortly after the incident, Ms Pealling posted a photograph on Facebook showing Mr Ball’s intervention, describing him as ‘my hero’.
She wrote a post on Facebook which since went viral praising Mr Ball.
Ms Pealling and her hero Mr Ball appeared together on ITV’s This Morning in a bid to educate others on how to help parents of children with special needs
While on the train, Jack (pictured) began hitting Ms Pealling and his sister in what his mother described as a ‘meltdown’
Shortly after the incident, Ms Pealling posted a photograph on Facebook showing Mr Ball’s intervention, describing him as ‘my hero’
She said: ‘Omg this guy is my hero.. my son has ADHD and autism..n started to have a melt down their was a couple that were chatting with him at first then this random Lovely stranger called Dan took over and was talking to both my children..he calmed my son down n the train journey was perfect…. thank you to this man ur really don’t know how much I appreciated your help xxx.’
Since helping Ms Pealling and her family, Mr Ball has started a JustGiving page to raise money for the National Autistic Society.
He wrote: ‘Recently, a post on Facebook made me realise just how many people’s lives are affected by autism – whether it’s having it themselves or supporting a family member.
‘I thought that, as people have taken the time to like and share the post with the photos of me in, they might be able to share a few pounds and – hopefully – we can make a bit of a difference.’
While on the train, Jack began hitting Ms Pealling and his sister in what his mother described as a ‘meltdown’.
Ms Pealling said Mr Ball played with her son and daughter for approximately an hour, calming down the distressing situation.
She revealed that in the past, people have described Jack as ‘naughty’ or even accused her of being a bad mother because they do not understand autism and ADHD.
She said she and her family have been told to leave a bus a dozen times in the past year as a result of Jack’s behaviour.
Before his intervention, Jack was hitting his mother and sister and making lots of noise
Gayna Peallilng, pictured, with her children Jack and Amy was struggling when her son, right, who has ADHD and autism suffered a meltdown while travelling on the train
Ms Pealling posted a photograph on Facebook showing her ‘hero’ entertaining her children
As a result of his condition, he can react to ‘unfamiliar situations’ or ‘loud environments’.
Mr Ball told the Evening Standard: ‘People were starting to tut. It was a Saturday afternoon slow train and he was climbing over seats and stuff. If you don’t understand ADHD, you just think it’s bad parenting and the mum can’t control them.
‘But my mum has worked with special needs kids my whole life so I have quite a good understanding of what they are doing.
‘Jack gave out a roar and refused to take his tablets and his mum was struggling to get him to take them, so I intervened and just said “bet you can’t show me you can take one”.
Mr Ball said Jack soon calmed down and they played games for the duration of the journey.