A recent trip to Target for a toddler and his mom turned into an inspiring moment – one that has gone viral.
Oliver “Ollie” Garza-Pena, who is almost 2-years-old, was on a typical shopping trip on Feb. 4 with his mother, Demi Garza-Pena, when he suddenly stopped the wheelchair he uses dead in its tracks.
“He turned back around to see this picture that he spotted,” she wrote in a moving Facebook post. “He just stared at it in awe!”
The picture was a Target ad featuring a boy in a wheelchair. Oliver, who has a condition called Caudal Regression Syndrome which affects his lower spine and organs, rarely sees kids like himself reflected back.
“It was just a beautiful moment to see: him admiring somebody like him because he doesn’t get to see that very often,” Garza-Pena said.
He recognized another boy like him, smiling and laughing,” she added. “Oliver sees kids every day, but he never gets to see kids like him. That was amazing! I am so happy that other kids that pass through here with their parents will see this,” she continued. “There is a lot of focus on representing diversity, but representing people with disabilities is just as important!”
We couldn’t agree more.
