Ralphie’s dad Steve Koppelman explained to Buzzfeed:
“For two years, Ralph insisted on a rigid routine after school: stopping at the same corner grocery for a bag of popcorn and a bottle of apple juice, followed by running to a bus stop, then taking the bus the mere eight blocks home, then counting the steps to the front door, then counting the steps up the flight of stairs, a routine developed during a winter. Any attempt to change this routine would make him panic and melt down, and it could take hours for him to calm down again.”
A photo posted by Lenore Koppelman (@the_cheeky_chipmunk) on
Ralphie’s mom Lenore, a professional body and face painter, had seen everybody playing the game around town but wasn’t really feeling it. She told People:
“I was totally making fun of it. I’m not a big video game person and I was sort of laughing and saying, ‘Oh my God, [the players] look like zombies.'”
Then, a colleague and fellow mom of a special needs child suggested they try the game out, and it really opened up a whole new world for them:
