A six-year-old boy has bought hundreds of Kinder Eggs in a desperate bid – to find just ONE special toy.
Little Jayden Lakey is so keen to get his hands on the plastic shark his parents have spent a fortune on the chocolate treat during an epic eight MONTH quest.
But so far Jayden’s hunt has been unsuccessful and the family say an appeal to bosses of the company to send one has been rejected.
His parents Vicky and Richard have now taken to social media in a bid to ask others for help.
And their plea has resulted in strangers posting the eggs to the family’s home.
Shocked Vicky, 37, of Plympton, Devon, says kind-hearted strangers from across the country have also offered to buy eggs for Jayden from their respective regions.
But despite several people offering to give their child’s shark to Jayden, she said the importance of opening the egg himself and finding the surprise remains his priority.
Vicky said: “Jayden’s excitement to disappointment is just as heartbreaking all these months on.
“People have been so lovely – but if he’s just given the shark it won’t provide him with that special Kinder experience – he needs to find it himself.
“And he would know if we’d prized open the egg and placed one inside – he’s not silly.”
She added: “Someone put a Kinder Egg through our letterbox yesterday – we don’t even know who it was, which was so lovely. But sadly we got a frog.”
Vicky contacted Kinder Egg manufacturers Ferrero directly asking if she could purchase a shark-filled egg for her son.
But she was told they were unable to fulfil her request – instead giving Jayden a measly £2 voucher to continue his search.
Vicky says Jayden’s obsession with finding the shark came after seeing a picture of the surprise gift on the display box of Kinder Eggs at a Sainsburys store last Christmas.
When Easter came around Jayden received a Kinder Egg from every friend and family member but none contained the shark.
He has even now lost interest in the chocolate itself and stopped eating it – offering it out to friends and family and using it to make crispy cakes.
And Jayden who has difficulties resulting from his autism which he was diagnosed with aged three, forlornly carries an empty Kinder Egg box around with him clearly displaying the shark he hopes to call his own.
The box has travelled with him on a family holiday to Spain and has not left his side since December.
Vicky, who runs RL Motor Services with husband Richard, added: “t’s been a difficult road (with Jayden’s autism) but he’s the happiest and most loving little boy and never lets his disability hold him back.
“He’s just shark mad – everyone that knows us understands how obsessed he is.
“We go to the national aquarium here regularly and are also members of the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay. He’s just had his room completely transformed into a shark themed room.”
She thinks the reason behind the shark obsession comes from Jayden’s desire to be in a calm atmosphere as he will often struggle with loud and busy surroundings.
And she has been overwhelmed by the support her little boy has received.
She added: “Even if you go on the Kinder Egg Facebook page you’ll see comments from people I don’t even know saying that they’ll stop buying and eating Kinder Eggs until Jayden is given a shark egg.”
The family buy eggs in bulk whenever they see them and when Jayden manages to get his hands on one he shakes it and listens to see if it could potentially be a shark.
In her search for the toy shark Vicky has also wanted to spread awareness of disabilities such as Jayden’s which are invisible.
She said: “There’s not enough awareness of autism. Not all disabilities are visible.
“But it’s important to remember people with autism young and old have feelings and there are in fact things that Jayden can do that others can’t.”
