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((06-17 TO WATCH HIM STRUGGLE
WITH THE WORLD AROUND HIM AND
TRY TO FIT IN AND TRY TO
PROCESS IT ALL, UMM HAS JUST
BEEN DEAR...
))
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CASEY:..IT STARTED AS A
SMILE...A WAVE FROM A GARBAGE
TRUCK DRIVER TO A LITTLE-BOY
IN HOLLAND.AND TURNED INTO A
FRIENDSHIP.
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CASEY:..24 HOUR NEWS 8'S
KATHERINE DUCHARME IS HERE
WITH LANDON AND MICHELLE'S
STORY - A STORY YOU'LL ONLY
SEE HERE ON 8.KATHERINE --
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KATHERINE:..I HAD THE CHANCE
TO WITNESS FIRST HAND THE BOND
LANDON AND MICHELLE SHARE.IT'S
A FRIENDSHIP THAT LANDON'S
FAMILY TELLS US STARTED IN AN
UNLIKELY WAY.
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BARB ALDERINK -- LANDON'S
GRANDMOTHER WHEN DO YOU THINK
SHE'LL COME?WHAT TIME IS IT --
OH, 15 MINUTES OR SO.FRIDAY IS
AN EXCITING DAY FOR 10-YEAR
OLD LANDON.NOT BECAUSE ITS THE
WEEKEND...BECAUSE IT'S GARBAGE
DAY.GARBAGE
TRUCK.BARB ALDERINK --
LANDON'S GRANDMOTHER WHEN HE
WAS REALLY LITTLE WE UM HAD TO
TAKE HIM IN THE CAR TO FOLLOW
THE GARBAGE TRUCK ROUTE
01;05;50SO THAT HE COULD WATCH
THE CLAW PICK UP THE CANS, AND
HE COULD MIMIC THE SOUNDS THE
SQUEEKS.AROUND THE TIME LANDON
STARTED PRE-SCHOOL - HIS
FAMILY STARTED NOTICING
CHANGES IN HIS BEHAVIOR.
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BARB ALDERINK -- LANDON'S
GRANDMOTHER WHEN KIDS WOULD BE
PLAYING TOGETHER, HE WOULD BE
OFF BY HIMSELF.
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BARB ALDERINK -- LANDON'S
GRANDMOTHER WHEN YOU TRY TO
START A CONVERSATION HE
COULDNT' LOOK AT YOU, NO EYE
CONTACTAT AGE 4 -- LANDON WAS
DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM.AND LIKE
A LOT OF CHILDREN WITH
AUTISM...HE BECAME FIXATED ON
CERTAIN THINGS...AT FIRST IT
WAS TRAINS...THEN IT WAS
GARBAGE
TRUCKS.áDUMPING TOY TRUCK
PARTS ONTO FLOORáAND HAS BEEN
FOR 7 YEARS NOW.A FASCINATION
OF NOT ONLY THE TRUCK...BUT
THE
SOUNDSGARBAGE TRUCK SOUND.AND
SOON TO BE THE
DRIVER. MICHELLE COPEN -- CHEF
CONTAINER DRIVERHI LANDON, IS
IT FINALLY FRIDAY?!YEP! HOW YA
DOING?! GOOD. MICHELLE
COPENWAS HIRED BY CHEF
CONTAINER A FEW YEARS AGO.SHE
REPLACED THE DRIVER ON
LANDON'S
ROUTE. BARB ALDERINK --
LANDON'S GRANDMOTHER WE WERE
FOLLOWING HER, SHE WAS PICKING
UP THE CANS AND STUFF AND HE
WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH HER.
01;06;36 SHE WAS VERY
EFFICIENT, ON-TIME, SHE DIDN'T
TIP OVER THE GARBAGE CANS.
LANDON HAS BEEN THERE FOR
MICHELLE SINCE DAY 1 ON THE
JOB.WHETHER IT WAS FOLLOWING
BEHIND HER TRUCK IN A CAR...OR
RIDING BEHIND THE TRUCK ON HIS
BIKE...RIDING ON BIKE/GARBAGE
SOUNDMICHELLE SAYS HE STARTED
OFF SHY...BUT THAT STARTED TO
CHANGE AFTER A FEW WEEKS.
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MICHELLE COPEN -- CHEF
CONTAINER DRIVERWE HAD HAD
LITTLE ONE-SIDED CONVERSATIONS
AT FIRST AND AFTER THAT UM HE
STARTED OPENING UP AND TALKING
BACK. SMALL-TALK GREW INTO
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SCHOOL,
LIFE, AND FAMILY...WHICH
TURNED INTO EXCHANGING GIFTS
FROM TIME TO TIME.
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MICHELLE COPEN -- CHEF
CONTAINER DRIVERTHOSE ARE
BEAUTIFUL, ARE THOSE FOR ME?
YA. HE'S WAITED IN THE COLD TO
GIVE HER A VALENTINE...PAINTED
HER PICTURES...AND BROUGHT HER
A DANCING HULA-GIRL FROM
HAWAII. BARB ALDERINK --
LANDON'S GRANDMOTHER I ASKED
BOTH BOYS WELL WHAT DO YOU
WANT GRAMMY TO BRING FROM
HAWAII FOR YOU. 01;09;05 LEVI
WANTED A SHIRT AND ALL THIS
STUFF AND LANDON SAID WELL I'M
OK BUT CAN YOU BRING SOMETHING
FOR MICHELLE. 01;09;31AS FOR
MICHELLE...SHE KEEPS LANDON'S
FAVORITE CANDY TOOTSIE
ROLLS..IN HER TRUCK FOR HIM.
NAT - HER GIVING TOOTSIE ROLLS.
BUT THE RELATIONSHIP IS MORE
THAN THE WAVES.. THE GIFTS...
IT BROUGHT LANDON OUT OF HIS
SHELL...AND GAVE HIM A FRIEND
THAT
UNDERSTANDS. BARB ALDERINK --
LANDON'S GRANDMOTHER IF SHE
HAD ACTED DIFFERENTLY IN ANY
WAY THIS WOULD NOT HAVE
DEVELOPED, THIS FRIENDSHIP
WOULD HAVE NOT MADE IT.
01;08;47 BUT SHE WAS SWEET AND
PATIENT AND GENTLE WITH HIM,
AND GAVE HIM JUST ENOUGH
ATTENTION BUT NOT TOO MUCH.
01;08;56IT BROUGHT MICHELLE A
FRIEND
TOO. MICHELLE COPEN -- CHEF
CONTAINER DRIVERI KNOW THE JOB
CAN BECOME VERY MUNDANE, NOT
THE MOST GLAMOROUS JOB BUT TO
KNOW THAT YOU GOT A BUDDY LIKE
THAT, THAT LOOKS FORWARD TO
SEEING YOU AND YOU'RE A LITTLE
BIT MORE THAN THE TRASH MAN,
IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. THE TWO
FINDING AN UNEXPECTED
FRIENDSHIP FROM THE OTHER...
ALL STARTED FROM A SMALL ACT
OF KINDNESS.
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BARB ALDERINK -- LANDON'S
GRANDMOTHER I THINK ALL OF US
NEED TO LEARN FROM HER, JUST
TO TAKE THE TIME TO SHOW SOME
KINDNESS UM CAUSE YOU NEVER
KNOW WHAT THAT'S GOING TO MEAN
TO SOMEONE.
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- LANDON'S PARENTS LIVE RIGHT
DOWN THE STREET FROM GRANDMA
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TERESA:..