Autistic teen meets idol

A Sheffield teen with autism got to meet his idol, when '˜Wheeler Dealers' presenter Mike Brewer met fans in the city.
Jarrad Smith was presented with a special gift by TV star Mike Brewer at Mike Brewer Motors in Sheffield.Jarrad Smith was presented with a special gift by TV star Mike Brewer at Mike Brewer Motors in Sheffield.
Jarrad Smith was presented with a special gift by TV star Mike Brewer at Mike Brewer Motors in Sheffield.

13-year-old Jarrad Smith has always had an ambition to become a mechanic and is a big fan of Mike’s Discovery Channel show.

When Mike - who is co-owner of Mike Brewer Motors - held a ‘meet and greet’ at his Sheffield care dealership on Bramall Lane, Jarrad told his mum he wanted to meet him.

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Michelle said: “I contacted the dealership straight away and was surprised and delighted when they got back in touch to let me know they’d arrange a special meeting with Mike just for Jarrad.

“Jarrad was always unsure what he wanted to do with his life until his love for Mike’s ‘Wheeler Dealers’ show developed a focus and a purpose for him, so I really wanted him to be able to meet Mike.

“On the day, Jarrad was given a tour around the dealership before meeting with Mike, who gave him with a signed socket set. Mike then spent time showing Jarrad under the hood of his beloved Mustang and talking with him about cars.

“Jarrad didn’t stop talking from the moment we left the showroom. I cannot thank Mike and his team enough, they made Jarrad’s year!”

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Mike, who worked as a car trader before making the move into presenting motoring programmes, said: “It’s so important to nurture our young people’s passions and ambitions. Jarrad is a credit to his family and I hope that, by meeting me, his resolve to become a mechanic is even stronger. I’ll be following his progress with interest.”

Jarrad added: “I really enjoyed meeting Mike and talking about cars. The socket set he gave me is awesome and I cannot wait to show everyone at my school.”