Today, most people use social media to stay in touch with others. It’s common to share pictures of your kids so that friends and family can see them.
One young mom also shares pictures of her child on social media. However, the comments on her photos and how people treat her child are very different. She has some important things to say about it…
Natasha is a young mother learning the ropes of motherhood. Like many other moms, she enjoys sharing pictures of her one-year-old son, Raedyn, online. However, unlike most moms, Natasha faces a lot of online bullying because of how her son looks.
She shares videos of herself with Raedyn on TikTok, a popular social media platform. Unfortunately, each post attracts dozens or even hundreds of comments telling her to stop sharing pictures or videos of her son.
Despite the negativity, 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 says.
Natasha receives countless messages and comments asking, “What’s wrong with your child? Why does your child look like that?”
Her little boy, Raedyn, was born with Pfeiffer syndrome, which affects the shape of his skull, face, and limbs. To Natasha, Raedyn is perfect, and she loves sharing videos of him whenever she can.
However, people can be very cruel. Natasha often gets comments 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.” Despite this, Natasha continues to proudly share her son’s journey.
Natasha not only deals with internet trolls but also faces rude comments from people in real life. She says that when she’s out in public, strangers often approach her with insensitive questions like, “What’s wrong with your child?” or “Why does your child look like that?” She points out, “That’s not how you talk to a human being.”
Being in public can be very challenging for Natasha because of the constant questions about her son’s health. She shared, “It’s exhausting to explain my son’s health problems over and over.”
Natasha is puzzled by people’s obsession with her son’s appearance. She emphasizes, “He lives a life like every other child. Does he look different? Absolutely – but that doesn’t make him any less.”
Natasha firmly believes that her son, Raedyn, deserves a full life and acceptance. She states, “He deserves life, he deserves acceptance – I will fight until my dying day for that.”
She finds it frustrating when people express their unsolicited concern, especially when she’s simply going about her day and someone approaches her with “curious” questions.
“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 said.
Natasha, an exhausted young mother, shared her thoughts: “My son looks a little bit different, but that doesn’t mean he is just a lesson to give the world. It’s mentally and emotionally draining to 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 them based on their appearance or 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 that people become kinder and more accepting.
We are sending love to Natasha and young Raedyn. Join us in wishing them well.