BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Jerri Lynn Sparks is a mother on a mission.
“He just wants to do all the things,” she said of her 25 year-old son Jared Kaiser. “I call him my adventure buddy.”
Sparks says her son has a passion for life. As an adult living with special needs and autism, Kaiser is no stranger to big events like concerts. In fact he’s been going since he was a kid.
“We go everywhere. All the festivals, new restaurants, I took him to 16 concerts last year,” she said.
But he had never been to a Buffalo Bills game.
“He’s been asking me to go to a Bills game for years, and it’s been really hard. I’m a single mom, it’s been hard to arrange it, but this year I was able to arrange it. I didn’t know what I was doing,” she said.
So, Sparks turned to Bills Mafia for tips on taking Jared to his first game, and the comments from fans flooded her post.
“Members were messaging me they sent me maps of things drawn out,” she said. “One of the Bills Mafia members gifted me lot 6 parking pass.”
She said some of the suggestions on taking a special needs child to the game were to:
-Bring lots of layers
-Get there early
-Park close
-Bring earplugs noise cancelling headphones and other essentials
Sparks said to her surprise the Bills organization was well prepared.
“A Bills Mafia member private messaged me and at Guest Services there’s a sensory backpack.”
In 2018 New Era Field became a certified Sensory Inclusive space offering the sensory inclusion backpacks and implementing special training for all staff.
“The sensory backpack had noise cancelling headphones, fidget toys, coupons for hot coffee and thins like that, and when you return the backpack at the end of the game you get a prize that was very motivating for him.”
She says the experience—couldn’t have been better, and encourages other moms with special needs children to give it a shot.
“There were many wonderful Bills Mafia angels there for us all day,” she said.
