These days, social media is how most people stay in touch. Sharing pictures of your kids with friends and family is totally normal.
Natasha is a young mom who loves sharing pictures of her one-year-old son, Raedyn, online. But unlike most moms, the comments she gets about her son are far from kind. She has a few things to say about that…
Natasha shares videos of her and Raedyn on TikTok. Every post gets dozens, if not hundreds, of comments, many of them telling her to stop posting about her son.
But Natasha has a strong message for her critics: “I will not stop… just because he looks different doesn’t mean that he is any less – he is perfect,” she declares.
The number of messages and comments she receives is overwhelming, often asking, “What’s wrong with your child? Why does your child look like that?”
Raedyn was born with Pfeiffer syndrome, a condition that affects the shape of his skull, face, and limbs. To Natasha, her little boy is perfect, and she proudly shares videos of him whenever she can.
However, people can be cruel. Natasha recounts some of the heartless comments she gets, like, “What quality of life will he have?” and “Why would you make him live like that? Such a miserable life that you’re permitting him to live.”
It’s not just online trolls that Natasha deals with; she faces rude comments in real life too. “People come up to me and say, ‘What’s wrong with your child? Why does your child look like that?’ …that’s not how you talk to a human being,” she says.
Being in public is hard for Natasha because of the constant questions. “It’s exhausting to explain my son’s health problems over and over,” she shares.
Natasha is baffled by the intense interest in her son’s appearance. She says, “He lives a life like every other child… does he look different? Absolutely – but that doesn’t make him any less.”
She adds, “He deserves life, he deserves acceptance – I will fight until my dying day for that.”
Natasha doesn’t appreciate the unsolicited concern people show, especially when she’s just trying to go about her day. “What people need to understand is that I am just a mum and my son is just a baby… our life doesn’t revolve around his diagnosis,” she explains.
The young mother continues, “My son looks a little bit different but that doesn’t mean he is just a lesson to give the world. It’s exhausting mentally and emotionally to go over the same diagnosis and explain my son’s health problems over and over to people.
“We are just a normal family. I pray for the world to accept disabled people one day and not judge off of their appearance and the things they cannot do.”
It’s sad to see that even today, people are quick to judge those who are different in any way. We can only hope for a kinder and more accepting world.
We’re sending love to Natasha and young Raedyn. Join us in sending them your good wishes too.
