Most individuals rely heavily on social media as their primary means of contact these days. It is common practise to show off images of your kids to relatives and friends.
This young mother also makes use of social media, but in her case, the responses to her photos and the treatment of her kid are quite different. But she does want to make a few comments.
Natasha is a new mum learning the ropes. She enjoys posting photos of her one-year-old son Raedyn online, as do many new moms. But unlike other moms, she has to deal with vicious internet bashing because of her son’s appearance.
She uses the viral video app TikTok to share footage of herself and her kid Raedyn. She has hundreds, if not thousands, of people commenting on her posts begging her to stop sharing photos and videos of her baby.
Natasha, however, would want to tell her detractors, “I will not quit… He is great,” she insists, despite his unconventional appearance.
She receives so many questions along the lines of “What is wrong with your child?” that she has stopped counting. “Why does your kid have to be so ugly?”
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Baby Raedyn was born with Pfeiffer syndrome, a condition characterised by skeletal, facial, and limb abnormalities. Natasha, on the other hand, thinks her baby son is amazing in every way and shares footage of him whenever she can.
People are harsh, however, and she describes typical responses such, “What quality of life will he have?” one jerk asked her on TikTok, and “Why would you make him live like that?” What a dreadful existence you’re giving him by allowing him to stay with you.
Not only does Natasha have to deal with online trolls, but she also has to deal with people’s remarks in real life.
People are unpleasant to her when they see her with her kid in public, she says: “People just come up to me and rudely say: ‘what’s wrong with your child?'” Or, “Why does your kid have that face?” is not a humane way to address another person.
“It’s exhausting to explain my son’s health problems over and over,” she said, explaining why she avoids going out in public.
She just doesn’t see why her kid is drawing so much attention due of his appearance. Does he appear different?” she asks. “He lives a life like any other youngster. Without a doubt, but that doesn’t diminish him in any way.
Then she said, “He deserves life, he deserves acceptance – I will fight until my dying day for that.”
Especially when she is just trying to go about her day and someone is interrupting her to be ‘interested’ and ask questions, she does not value the care that others send her way.
“What people need to understand is that my son is just a baby, and I’m just a mom. Our life is not centred on his diagnosis,” she added.
The young mother, clearly fatigued, said, “My kid may seem a little bit different, but that doesn’t mean he is merely a lesson to offer to the world. Repeatedly explaining my son’s medical history and the diagnosis is cognitively and emotionally draining.
We’re simply a regular, everyday family. I hope that one day people will stop judging handicapped individuals based on how they look or what they can’t accomplish.
It’s disheartening to realise that prejudice and bigotry still exist in the modern world, especially when it comes to persons who are different from the norm. Our best bet is for people to become more empathetic and tolerant.
Natasha and little Raedyn have our love and support. Send them your best wishes along with ours.
