A KIND-hearted cleaner at a supermarket has been hailed a hero after stepping in to calm a disabled child having a “meltdown” in the shop. 

Verity Slater has issued a heartfelt thank you to the member of staff, who she knows only as Jackie, after she leapt into action to help soothe Verity’s son, Theo, and took him to the café to get a slice of cake. 

Theo, 15, is non-verbal and has autism as well as suffering from microdeletion syndrome - a rare disorder which means he has severe learning difficulties and can experience seizures. 

Echo: Brave - Theo has beaten the odds, previously battling a condition which has a one per cent chance of survival.Brave - Theo has beaten the odds, previously battling a condition which has a one per cent chance of survival. (Image: Verity Slater)

Verity is now calling for the major supermarket chain to reward Jackie for her kindness after Theo had a sudden episode on Monday, which saw him “throw himself on the floor and start screaming” in Asda at Pipps Hill retail park. 

The mum, aged 37, described feeling “inadequate” before “Jackie stepped in like a Guardian Angel”.

She said: “He’s usually such a happy, smiley boy. Everybody loves Theo. But he was very distressed. At that point, you can’t really reason with him.

“People can feel very awkward in that situation, so I don’t blame them for politely looking away.

Others stood and watched from a distance, while one person tutted like Theo was a toddler having a tantrum.

“It was stressful for me, too, as Theo was laying on the floor, kicking and screaming.”

Echo: Distressed - Verity struggled to calm Theo during his meltdown.Distressed - Verity struggled to calm Theo during his meltdown. (Image: Verity Slater)

Verity says the 15-minute episode “felt like a lifetime”.

She added: “I had tears in my eyes. I felt inadequate as a mother, because nothing I tried seemed to help.

“Jackie spoke calmly to Theo. Seeing her uniform, Theo knew she was there to help him. He stopped lashing out, and Jackie helped me pull him up.

“We realised that he wanted to go to the café, where we go for breakfast when his grandparents visit, so we took him there for a slice of cake.

"Jackie went above and beyond, willing to take a risk and not just walk by. She saved the day. It was like the clouds had blown over, thanks to her help.”

Echo: 'Saved the day' - cleaner Jackie helped calm Theo and gave him cake and a cup of milk to soothe him further.'Saved the day' - cleaner Jackie helped calm Theo and gave him cake and a cup of milk to soothe him further. (Image: Verity Slater)

Verity passed her thanks on to the store’s manager, and hopes Jackie is rewarded for her kindness.

She added: “We were surrounded by people who might have been able to help. They need to know that just a kind word or the offer of help is much better than politely looking away.”