Maryborough boy gets surprise birthday visit from Cleanaway truck

A five-year-old boy who suffers from severe autism received a special surprise for his birthday when a rubbish truck showed up.

Five-year-old Royce Warren is obsessed with rubbish trucks. So when Adrian Griffiths pulled up outside his house in a Cleanaway truck as Royce celebrated his birthday recently, it was a dream come true for the boy, who is autistic.

Getting behind the wheel of a rubbish truck made one five-year-old’s birthday celebration complete.

Maryborough’s Royce Warren is obsessed with rubbish trucks.

So when Adrian Griffiths pulled up outside his house in a Cleanaway truck as Royce celebrated his birthday, it was a dream come true for the boy, who is autistic.

Royce’s mum, Kelly Warren, requested the visit, knowing how much it would mean to her little boy.

“He was on the jumping castle in the backyard when he heard the sound of the rubbish truck in the street,” Kelly said.

Five-year-old Royce Warren is obsessed with rubbish trucks. So when Adrian Griffiths pulled up outside his house in a Cleanaway truck, it was a birthday dream come true.

“He looked up and came running so I opened the gate and, as soon, as he saw the truck, he was beside himself.

“He grabbed our neighbour’s bin, which was the closest one he could find, and pulled it out to the kerb near where Adrian parked the truck.”

Adrian said when he pulled up out the front of the home, he blasted the horn a few times and the kids came running out with their parents.

“They were having a look around at the truck,” he said.

“I let him sit in the seat and he thought he was driving it but I made sure it was done safely.”

Kelly said Royce was diagnosed with severe autism at the start of the year and was only just starting to talk.

“More than a year he’s had a fascination with trucks and diggers. He’s up and waiting for the bin man when he comes each Tuesday,” she said.

“He’s never had a birthday party before and my partner said ‘wouldn’t it be cool if we could get a truck to come out to the house?

Five-year-old Royce Warren is obsessed with rubbish trucks. So when Adrian Griffiths pulled up outside his house in a Cleanaway truck as Royce celebrated his birthday recently, it was a dream come true for the boy, who is autistic.

“We had to pry his fingers off the steering wheel to get him out of the truck.”

Adrian, who joined Cleanaway more than two years ago and has a three-year-old-son of his own, said he was happy to pay a visit to Royce’s birthday party on a day off.

He also handed out cardboard Cleanaway truck cut-outs and tiny blue wheelie bins as gifts to the birthday party guests, complementing the rubbish truck-themed cake prepared for the birthday.

“It made me feel really good,” Adrian said.

“What some of us take for granted, others think of as a luxury. If I can help somebody else, I will.”

Fraser Coast Branch Manager Scott Campbell paid tribute to Adrian as a “top bloke” who was willing to help others.

“He’s one of our model Cleanaway employees who lives up to all of our values including doing the right thing and making a difference,” Scott said.