Savannah, a 29-year-old mom who spent her whole life feeling like she didn’t fit in, decided to find out why. She got diagnosed with Autism in 2021, and while it may be a harsh or degrading word for some, to her it was really a rebirth. It allowed her to embrace her unique qualities and let her multiple talents bloom from within.
At any stage in our lives, we may encounter moments that have the power to dramatically shift our reality when we uncover deep secrets about our past. Although these revelations can be startling and fundamentally reshape our lives, they often evolve into precious lessons that deepen our understanding and make us stronger. The stories you're about to read are all true and are sure to leave a lasting impact.
John Travolta is remembering his late son Jett on his birthday. The proud dad shared a heartfelt message on his Instagram, just before what would have been Jett’s 32nd birthday. With his words, the actor posted an old picture where he also honored his late wife Kelly Preston. The photo showed Travolta and Preston standing together, with Jett nestled between them. Jett, who looked younger in the photo, beamed a big smile as he hugged his mom.
A woman, 35, has been struggling hard with her whole family, because of the tough decision they wanted her to make. She wrote us a letter, in which she told us about her son, who was born with Down’s syndrome. The woman opened up about the important lessons that her 3-year-old son has already taught her and the rest of their family members. The mom asked us to publish her story and she wanted to deliver an important message to our readers who may be facing the same life situation.
Unexpected remarks or actions, or surprising discoveries, can profoundly redefine our lives. The key to moving past them is to stay composed in these moments and keep pushing forward. With time, we may reflect on these experiences and feel compelled to share our stories, similar to the individuals highlighted in this article.
Last weekend, a historic moment unfolded as 33-year-old Kayleigh Williamson became one of the first women with Down syndrome to successfully complete the New York City Marathon. Her mother Sandy Williamson, who ran by her daughter’s side, shared that the 10-hour journey was filled with dancing, warm hugs, and countless high-fives.
In February 2020, Canadian babies unwittingly became part of a groundbreaking scientific endeavor, shedding light on a new frontier in science known as the Gut-Brain Axis. This emerging field explores the intricate relationship between the gut and the brain, challenging traditional notions of consciousness and cognition.
The famous Britain’s Got Talent star shocked her fans with the announcement that she had suffered a minor stroke last April. We haven’t seen her perform for a pretty long time, and she herself even doubted whether she could perform at all after her health deteriorated. Yet, Susan is famous for her brilliant capacity to overcome struggles after all, and now we can cheer up with her as we watch her long-awaited return to the stage.
Miriam Gwynne is a Scottish mother of two autistic twins, with one of them being her son Isaac, who is also non-verbal. Miriam has had all kinds of challenges while raising a child who can’t verbally communicate his needs and desires. The boy had to attend a special school where all kids were non-verbal. Suddenly, at the age of 14 Isaac uttered his very first word and left everyone around him speechless.
Sebastien, now 26, has spent the past six years living independently in Bali. His mother, Ms. Choo Kah Ying, despite residing in Singapore, made a decision to let her non-verbal autistic son thrive in this tropical paradise. It has been the best thing she’s ever done for herself and Sebastien. And we are here for our readers to understand why this mom decided to do so.
Despite being a 13-year-old blind girl with severe autism, Lucy refuses to let her condition get in the way of her dreams. Every day, she demonstrates that there are no people with disabilities, only people with different abilities. Lucy possesses exceptional musical talent, and her latest performance was so moving that it brought the audience to tears. As a result, Lucy was crowned the winner of The Piano competition.
A woman’s TikTok video reached nearly 13 million views after she revealed that she keeps her toddler tethered to her when they are in public. Her parenting approach drew mixed reactions from Internet users — some people defended her method, while others slammed her actions. But the US-based mother, Alexis, explains why she feels the need to use a leash on her child.
Life is a journey through happy and sad moments, and we’re compelled to face challenges that only make us stronger. This is also true for famous people, whose lives are not as easy as they might seem. Such was the case with the famous actor, John Travolta, who had to deal with the loss of his firstborn and subsequently the passing of his loving wife. Despite great sorrow, Travolta has continued to fight, making it his life’s purpose to keep their legacy alive forever.
Jason Arday was diagnosed with autism, developmental delays, and learning difficulties as a young child. As a result, he couldn’t speak until he was 11 and was illiterate until his late teens. Furthermore, professionals predicted that he would never be able to live unassisted and would need constant care. Despite all the odds being stacked against him, Arday is now one of the youngest professors in the UK. His inspiring story proves that pursuing your dreams always pays off, even if many hurdles must be overcome on the way.
Brendan Fraser’s son, Griffin, was diagnosed with autism at a very young age, and the actor’s life hasn’t been the same since. The father of 3 has recently been totally honest about the ups and downs of raising a child with a disability. And hearing about his touching journey as a parent made us admire Fraser even more.
Donnie Wahlberg, best known as a member of the boy band, New Kids on the Block, is a man of many talents. Outside of music, he regularly appears in movies and TV shows and produces records and films. Wahlberg, a man with a big heart famous for his charity work, found happiness in his personal life in his forties. He is happily married to Jenny McCarthy, and his special bond with her son, Evan, touches us to the core.
Sylvester Stallone rose to prominence as the creator and star of the Rocky and Rambo film franchises, firmly establishing his place in the action genre. However, Silvester has lived through a lot of grief and hardship throughout his life, all while hiding it behind the inspiring images he’s played in the movies. The actor lost his first child and had to deal with an autism diagnosis with his second, but this didn’t stop him from fighting and never giving up, just like his iconic characters did.
Sometimes it can be painful to see your child struggle with things that may keep them from reaching their ultimate best, but it’s not always true that disabilities are a barrier. Research shows that most kids with autism do really well by the time they reach mid-childhood. It’s important to give your child comfort and approval instead of saying that they have unusual habits. That way, they can grow accordingly and achieve success just as any other kid would.
While we may think that kids are unable to understand what kindness is, research indicates that the abilities necessary for developing into decent and honest adults are laid down in the first few years of life. Babies start to show empathy as early as 6 months old. Knowing this, we have an article for you about kids who proved that love and compassion can last forever.
Lee Jung-jae, or as we know him Seong Gi-hun from Squid Game, is the first Asian actor who won the Best Actor award at the Emmys. At the beginning of his career, everyone believed that he was from an extremely well-off background, but as it turns out, everything was not that easy for Lee. People might not be aware of the challenges he had to overcome in order to become the successful actor and artist we know today.
There are 1.2 billion people with disabilities around the world. And it’s a good time for brands and fashion to become aware and be even more inclusive. Recently, this gap has started to be filled, and some positive changes are now happening in the world of fashion and beauty. Supermodel Madeline Stuart is a vivid example of the enlightenment that has been happening to the minds of trendsetters and beauty industry giants. Having Down syndrome and autism, this girl is climbing the Everest of the modeling world like a pro and proving that beauty will conquer the world.
Good news for coffee and tea lovers — both drinks benefit your health. People who prefer drinking tea have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. While those who drink a cup or two of coffee in the morning also tend to have a lower risk of heart problems. Not only do these drinks taste good, but they are such a great help to your body.To celebrate their benefits, Bright Side decided to compile a list of things that could make your hot beverage experience a lot cozier.
Being a parent on its own can be challenging. But raising kids with special needs is an even greater challenge. No parent is ready to receive an unwelcoming diagnosis for their child, and staying positive in these situations can be hard. But the unconditional and pure love children give has the power to make all your worries and fears fade away.
One of the most important lessons that life can teach us is not to judge a book by its cover. This means that appearances can be deceiving and that sometimes a person who looks very tough can be gentle, kind, and good-hearted. Actor Danny Trejo is probably the best example of that.
We all have that one day or moment that we’ll forever cherish as the happiest of our lives, which never fails to bring a smile to our face. In fact, scientists suggest that remembering our positive autobiographical memories can boost our well-being and positive emotions. As the people in this article show us, there are many positive memories for us to look back on and enjoy again and again.
There are some people whose very lives serve as inspiration to the rest of the world, in ways both big and small. For instance, actor Christopher Reeve became a quadriplegic in the prime of his life, after getting thrown by his horse at an equestrian event. The Superman star remained in a wheelchair for the rest of his life and lobbied for the rights of the disabled.
As our society becomes more inclusive, certain performers are becoming the flag bearers for their communities and helping us redefine what inclusion truly means. Disabled people have either been sorely underrepresented or misrepresented in the industry in the past, but the time has come for them to claim their place.
Over the years, we have seen how the fashion industry has evolved. And with each passing decade, new design proposals arrive, and the perception of beauty standards is also transformed. We are increasingly realizing that true beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and those differences are what make us shine with our own light.
Our communication with people can change drastically in the future and it might be less challenging for us to stay in touch with our loved ones. Instead of spending a lot of money to visit our family, we will have the opportunity to actually feel them like they are in our presence, physically. If someone you love is far away all throughout the year, you may get the chance to spend Christmas with them thanks to the future era of technology.
At the beginning of the 2000s, Brendan Fraser was a Hollywood actor with great potential. We all remember the handsome savage from the comedy, George of the Jungle, or the brave Richard O’Connell from The Mummy. But suddenly, he disappeared from the big screen. Now social media users are wondering what happened to this once-so-popular actor.
Parents have various concerns about the development of their children, one of the most common ones is their well-being. Watching them purposely banging their head and harming themselves certainly leave parents frustrated and extremely worried, not knowing what to do to help their toddlers. Luckily, in the majority of cases, it’s not a sign of a problem, it’s just a way they use to express themselves.
Even though 1 in every 54 children is likely to be diagnosed with Autism, there is still not enough awareness about it. In fact, kids with special needs are often frowned upon in public when all they really need is love. Instead of judging, a stranger offered kindness to little Rudy when he needed it the most, and our hearts are happy.
Kate Winslet has been shining on our screens for over 2 decades with her blockbusters and independent movies. But this time we won’t call her a movie star, not only because she actually doesn’t like being called one but because her career is nothing but a tiny fragment of why we admire her so much.
Raising a child with special needs can be something very challenging, but also equally rewarding. It tests parents in ways they couldn’t imagine, but it also shows them a whole different world of love and care. There are some celebrities who know what this is like firsthand, and they have valuable wisdom to share with the rest of us.
When humans aren’t able to help us, our 4-leged friends willingly step in. They can heal any soul’s wounds with the power of their endless empathy and love, and they can even protect us when they sense that danger is threatening their owners.
Mykey O’Halloran is a 29-year-old hairstylist from Melbourne. His vivid imagination allows him to specialize in crazy cuts, color, and creating unique hairstyles, whilst raising money for charity. He can turn even the darkest brunette hair into a radiant rainbow, and his message is all about helping people express themselves.