We exist in a world that wants to erase difference instead of embrace it. Kids like ours - neurodivergent and disabled - live in a world which refuses to understand them; instead of leaning into curiosity, and learning about their disabilities, they are frequently met with indifference, ridicule, and a refusal to acknowledge the fullness of their humanity. Autistic, non-verbal, and living with cerebral palsy, Victor Perez, a 17-year-old teenage boy, desperately needed support - instead, within a matter of seconds, police fired shots — despite his family pleading for them to stop.
I spent time reading about Victor, I did not want my only remembrance of his young life linked to this tragic ending: “Victor loved watching professional wrestling, eating fries and taking walks while holding his mother’s hand,” his aunt Ana Vazquez told AP News, “ Those police broke our family. There is no way to explain the pain that we are feeling right now. It’s like our hearts are kind of empty — it’s not full anymore.” I thought of our Nai when reading about Victor’s love for fries and holding his mother’s hands, the tenderness of those moments, an intimacy beyond words. Mamas like us know our children’s love transcends language.