Boy who helped first responders better comfort children with autism named TIME’s Kid of the Year

HENRICO, Va. (WWBT/Gray News) - A Virginia boy has been named TIME’s Kid of the Year thanks to his role in helping first responders better comfort children with autism.

Nine-year-old Ledger is getting honored for his work, which has included working alongside Henrico County firefighters, paramedics and police officers.

First responders in Henrico have been deploying a new set of specialized tools designed to comfort and improve communication with patients on the autism spectrum during emergency calls with the help of Ledger.

Known as “LGM Bags,” the clear backpacks are filled with sensory-friendly items, communication boards and therapeutic tools.

The program began with a crisis in Prince George County, where Ledger’s father, Sergeant J.T. Mann, a 28-year veteran of county emergency services, was dispatched to search for a missing child with autism.

After several hours of searching, the child was found safely, hiding under a grill cover behind a residence.

Knowing that individuals on the spectrum are often drawn to water or wooded areas to escape loud noises and strangers, Mann said he asked his son Ledger, who was diagnosed with autism at age 2, what would make him feel safe if he were ever lost and found by a first responder.

Ledger immediately began brainstorming comfort items, including stuffed animals, noise-canceling headphones and fidget spinners.

The 9-year-old also insisted that the backpack holding the items must be completely clear so that non-verbal children could easily see inside and point to what they need.

Ledger then emptied $100 from his piggy bank to fund the very first prototypes.

“He said, ‘Dad, I want to do this myself initially,’” Mann recalled. “He took a hundred dollars out of his piggy bank and made the first bags himself and didn’t want the money back or anything. And those were the first bags we distributed, actually out of his own money.”

To date, the “LGM” program, named after Ledger’s initials, has distributed over 432 bags across Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Florida.

The initiative has garnered national and international attention, including being featured in TIME and People and even billboard recognition as far away as Australia.

The program’s expansion into Henrico County was championed by Lakeside Station 5 Firefighter Courtney Koppelman.

Koppelman, who recently joined the Henrico Division of Fire after serving in Hanover County, grew up with a brother who had spina bifida and a learning disability.

“It’s really close to my heart with having a brother who was special needs growing up, and the world not always meeting him where he was at,” Koppelman said. “So it’s great to meet people where they are and make them feel safe and heard and helped.”

Koppelman had previously created her own personal sensory bags to carry on calls.

She knew from experience that emergency scenes can be terrifyingly loud and visually overwhelming, especially inside an ambulance.

“Ambulances are very overwhelming, with the engine revving, monitors beeping and other loud sounds,” Koppelman said. “The noise-canceling headphones alone provide a much more comfortable ride for our patients.”

Koppelman saw that sensory tools were valuable not just for children on the spectrum, but also for elderly patients experiencing dementia and adults suffering from severe anxiety or trauma.

She requested that Henrico County leadership explore a department-wide program.

Henrico leaders quickly embraced the idea.

Dr. Anjali Ferguson, who spent nearly a decade as deputy medical director before taking the OMD role full-time two years ago, noted that these bags fill a critical void in pre-hospital care.

“When I’m in the hospital, we have child life specialists that come in with these toys and distracting agents or even iPads,” Ferguson said. “But we don’t have that in the field. So this sort of bridges that gap between what we have available to us in the field and what we have in the hospital.”

According to Ferguson, the bags do more than just soothe anxious minds; they directly enable first responders to provide safer and more efficient medical treatment.

“Everyone in Henrico County is passionate about providing the most elite service for citizens,” Koppelman said. “And I feel like this is just a small component to upping that service provided on a daily basis. It makes my heart happy. I’m glad we’re able to provide that service for people.”

The donated bags have since been placed on all frontline Henrico ambulances, EMS captain vehicles, and with police crisis intervention officers.