When we stumbled upon the actual Polar Express in Williams, Arizona, it was a given that we’d be going. Organization is important to Ty, so after we bought our tickets, we made a calendar for him to count down the days until our adventure. At the hotel, we were excited to learn that our room faced the train depot. Ty delightedly stared out the window, watching the trains and the people passing by.

Everyone, including Luna put on our pajamas and headed to dinner. The restaurant is decked out in all things Polar Express and truly stunning. When we stepped inside, the sights and sounds were in full swing and before we could gage how Ty would react, he was on the floor with his hands over his ears, groaning, rocking and stimming. These moments never get easier for us, but within seconds the staff had routed people around us and thankfully, didn’t allow anyone to stop and stare. Once Luna was able to calm Ty down, we headed into the dining room. The staff asked if we’d be more comfortable in a quieter area and made that happen. Their thoughtfulness allowed us to enjoy our dinner without issue.

Ty’s eyes lit up when the train pulled into the depot and he started excitedly pointing, but when the train stopped, he dropped to the ground and started screaming. We attempted to calm him, but he was swatting at all of us, including Luna, who was trying to put herself in between him and his fists. Her job is to keep him from hurting himself, but at this point, Luna was the one at risk of getting hurt because Ty couldn’t understand his own strength. He was in a full meltdown state, which is a fight or flight response to overstimulation. His brain was unable to properly process what was happening around him.

Lloyd took Luna a safe distance away and I tried calming Ty, but he kept punching me and screaming, and then he took off his shoes and threw them. A woman approached and asked if I needed help. She pointed to a young man around Ty’s age who was with his grandma and said, “I’ve been where you are. He’s autistic as well.” She gently patted my shoulder and I did everything to keep from crying because I was so grateful for her understanding.

After more coaxing, Ty took a deep breath, shot to his sock feet and ran towards the train. That same woman yelled out, “Don’t worry about the shoe, I got it.” So off we went, but when Ty saw the long line of kids waiting to board the Polar Express, he fell to the ground again. He knew that it was impolite to cut in line, and though I was proud of him for minding his manners, I was indescribably sad because I knew in my heart that this was the end. There would be no getting him on the train now. That didn’t stop the crew from trying their best, though. They spoke to him with such kindness and patience and the conductor even held the train. But when Ty started crying, I knew we were done.

I gently handed Ty over to my husband and walked away quickly. I didn’t want him to see me crying. The lovely woman from earlier caught up with me and handed me my purse, that I didn’t even notice I had dropped. “It’s okay. I’ve been there.” She reminded me. “We come down here almost every night I’m off work so my son can send everyone off. He loves saying, ‘All aboard!’” In that moment, all I could do was nod. I was too overwhelmed with emotion to form words, but I was so appreciative of this woman, and to this day, I regret not being able to properly thank her for helping us, for seeing us.

Back in our room, I went straight to the bathroom to continue crying. I felt like a failure as a parent. Ty wanted this so badly and we were heartbroken for him. As my husband consoled me, there was a knock on the door. It was the head of security. Our hearts sank as we wondered if people had complained about the “scene” at the train depot. We were floored when he explained that he was there on behalf of the staff to see how they could still make Ty’s night memorable.

As if that weren’t enough, they were refunding our tickets for the train ride. When Lloyd went to the front desk to assist them with the transaction, he was stopped by the conductor, who asked to see Ty. From the second the second that man entered our hotel room, he became the conductor and Ty was ecstatic. After talking to him for a bit, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his watch. It was an exact replica from the film and he gave it to our son. He left and Ty was absolutely starstruck. A short time later, he returned and presented Ty with a bell. All kids get one for riding the train, but he told Ty that even though he wasn’t on the Polar Express, he still deserved to have a bell.

That night, for reasons that I cannot explain, I felt this powerful nudge to write about our trip.The Grand Canyon Railway certainly deserved a five star review, but that’s not what motivated me. Instead, I was driven to reach out to all the autism families that were afraid to take their children out in public. Simple outings can be scary and it’s not uncommon for both autistic children and their parents to be on the receiving end of negative comments, or worse, by those unfamiliar with autism. Though the perception that autistic kids are simply acting out or poorly behaved is unfounded, it doesn’t make it easier on the families. We don’t want to create negative scenarios for our children, but they deserve to be a part of the world. So, I shared about a night that started out pretty awful, took a beautiful turn, and ended up becoming an incredibly, magical time .

Within days of posting our story with our tiny Facebook community, it had gone viral. Ty’s experience had resonated with so many people and perhaps, given hope to families like ours. Shortly thereafter, the conductor contacted us on behalf of the Grand Canyon Railway and invited us back to try again. They wanted Ty to experience riding the Polar Express, so they asked how they could do to make things easier and less scary for him. They covered the costs of the trip and the conductor stayed with us from dinner to the end of the train ride. Ty was given a special pass to see Santa and they arranged his visit in a private room, so he wouldn’t be overwhelmed. Every crew member that was there the first time, came into our car and celebrated with Ty. It was hands down, the most exciting experience of his life.

The next day, we met with the head of The Grand Canyon Railway. She wanted our input on how they could make the Polar Express special for kids like Ty. As an autism mom, that type of willingness is not something that happens everyday, so it was exciting to talk about the possibilities that could make riding the train a more inclusive experience for all children. Before we got up to leave, I asked her if they had specially trained their employees to deal with people like my son. She seemed confused by the question and said, “No.”

It turned out she was never told the details of Ty’s first visit. She had no idea that so many staff members came to our aid, or about the conductor’s visit to our room. In other words, everyone that tried to help Ty did so because they saw a young man, with the heart of a boy, in distress. They wanted to help make his dream come true and they did so under no obligation and with no formal training. By simply following their hearts, they touched our lives in a way that we can’t even express.

Ty loves to go through the pictures from our trip. He stares transfixed at his watch and loves playing with his bell. As his parents, we remain in absolute awe of the human kindness that was shown to us not once, but twice. Magical places, like God Shots, really do exist. And not just in storybooks.