Ben Carter has severe autism and since childhood he had only drunk water from a blue Tommee Tippee cup. Not out of whim: that object was his way of feeling safe in a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming to him.
The problem came when the model, discontinued more than 20 years ago, broke. No replacement worked. Neither the color, nor the shape, nor the weight in his hand felt the same to him. Ben stopped drinking water normally and ended up hospitalized for dehydration.
His father asked for help on social media, and the story went viral. Tommee Tippee found the original mold and made 500 identical cups, just for him. A blue plastic cup that was insignificant to the world was, for Ben, the bridge back to calm.
