According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), 1 in 59 children is diagnosed with autism. Parenting a child with this kind of disorder can be really challenging because many of these kids have trouble understanding the world around them. Some features of autism are the inability to communicate (verbal and nonverbal), social withdrawal, repetitive behaviors, difficulties making eye contact.
Unfortunately, many of the parents who have an autistic child don’t get the opportunity to see their precious babies taking the first steps, saying the first words, or make friends, or at least not at the period of life as the rest of the kids do it. But as long as they make progress, no matter how slow, parents like Briana Blankenship are happy.
This brave mother shares the story of her daughter with Love What Matters, and we are beyond happy for both of them.
Briana’s 5-year-old daughter Taylor was diagnosed with a ‘nonverbal’ form of autism which prevents her from verbally communicating with those around her. This lovely girl gets to understand certain words of English, but has never produced one herself, up to the day these mother and daughter drove along the McDonald’s drive-thru line.
‘”I am ugly crying in the McDonald’s parking lot and the employees probably think I’m crazy. In the drive-thru, I suddenly heard Taylor say ‘MAMA.’
For those of you that don’t know, Taylor is five and is nonverbal autistic. She has NEVER said a word. EVER.”
“As soon as she said it I grabbed my phone and started recording. I’m pretty sure I held up the drive-thru line but there was no way I wasn’t getting proof of this.
I can’t explain how unbelievably grateful and ecstatic I am right now.”
Briana got to experience something the doctors told her will never happen, and that’s the touching moment her lovely daughter called her MAMA. A word she dreamed of hearing from the moment Taylor was born.
This mother is grateful for this moment that will remain the most precious memory she’ll never forget.
We hope and pray for Taylor to learn how to communicate in the future and make her mommy proud.
We are glad we get to share this precious moment with this lovely family.
We love you Taylor, you are one strong girl who we hope will have an amazing life ahead.
