A woman in Orland Park, Illinois, asked her autistic son what she wanted for a birthday gift. He shocked her with his response, as he asked for a “regular brain.” Mother and son embraced in tears, and the internet soon reacted accordingly, sobbing for such a pure heart.
@laurenashleystudios
I was standing there with curlers in my hair, getting ready for the day, when I asked Noah what he wanted for his birthday tomorrow. I expected him to say a toy. Maybe his favorite snack. A place he loves to go. Instead he looked at me and said: “A regular brain.” And I swear my heart shattered right there in front of him. Noah has level 3 autism, and as he gets older, he’s becoming more aware that he experiences life differently than other kids. To be clear, nobody in our home has ever made him feel “less than.” We celebrate him exactly as he is. Fully. Loudly. Every single day. But the world has a way of making people who are different feel like they need fixing. And hearing your child repeat that pain back to you is something I can’t even explain. I tried so hard not to cry in front of him. I told him my tears were because I loved him so much and because he was perfect exactly the way he is. But the truth is… after I turned the camera off, I completely broke down. I’ve cried on and off all day. I don’t always share the hardest parts of my life online because sometimes they hurt too much to relive. But I know there are other special needs parents carrying heartbreak like this behind closed doors too. And if Noah ever reads this someday, I hope he knows this with every part of him: There has never been anything wrong with his brain. The world just needs to become kinder to people who experience it differently…