Mum makes McDonald’s Happy Meals for autistic sons during isolation – and says Iceland’s chicken nuggets are spot on
A CLEVER mum is making her own McDonald's Happy Meals every week for her sons during self-isolation - using Iceland's chicken nuggets.
Donna Ganson's sons Luke, five, and Jake, four, are both on the autistic spectrum - so she worried a change in routine would make them distressed.
The family normally head to their local McDonald’s drive-thru in Corstorphine, Edinburgh, once a week - and Donna, 33, was gutted to hear it was closing.
The stay-at-home mum decided to get creative and now cooks up her own Maccies meal every week - using cartons and toys generously donated by the fast food chain.
Donna said: “I got told that McDonald’s were closing and as you can imagine my heart sank because me two boys are on the autism spectrum.
“My eldest, Luke, if he starts asking for something he won’t stop asking until he gets it and I had visions of requests for days.
- 30 crispy chicken breast XL nuggets, £2, Iceland -
“I spoke to a lovely man called Michael at the restaurant, and I asked if I could come in and buy some of the packaging for the Happy Meals and chicken nuggets and he said of course.
“When I arrived I mentioned to staff I was due to meet Michael and the man I spoke to asked me how much I would need.
“He then came out with hundreds of boxes and toys, which I hadn’t asked for, he had just added in, and I was almost in tears when they gave me the boxes.
“He wouldn’t accept any money for it and he said to me that his friend’s son has autism and that he understood.”
Donna says the hardest part of the weekly meal is putting together the boxes - which is apparently much harder than it looks.
She added: “It is just about keeping routine with them as everything is upside down so it is just one less thing to have to deal with.
“We always go through the drive-thru but all that is different for the boys now is that Mum is coming through from the kitchen.
“I am doing the fries in the air fryer and am using Iceland's chicken nuggets which taste just like McDonald’s.
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“The virus has meant a big change for the boys but it is keeping as much routine as possible.
“We are lucky we have a garden and they can get out but they are adjusting well. I think they are quite happy to be out of school and nursery.”
Yesterday, Stacey Solomon made her kids McDonald's to celebrate the last day of school.