If it seems to you that today people have become more cruel and incapable of showing compassion, the story of our heroine from England will make you doubt it. Her special child could not calm down and cried, lying on the pavement. A random passerby decided to join him …
Essex resident Natalie Fernando published a post titled “Better to be different” where she officially thanked a stranger who helped her son with autism calm down during a panic attack.
On that day, Natalie and 5-year-old Rudy were walking along the embankment, and when it came time to return home, the boy became very nervous. He lay down on the pavement and began to scream. Passers-by stopped in bewilderment. Many were indignant and made fun of the child, and Natalie was confused and even tried to apologize for his behavior. And then out of nowhere appeared 44-year-old Ian. He stopped and asked if everything was all right, and then lay down with Rudy on the road and started talking to him. Very quickly the boy calmed down and they all returned together to their car.
In the post, Natalie explained that Rudy loves to go for walks, but it frustrates him a lot when he has to turn around and walk in the opposite direction. That is why very often they choose circular routes for walking, but in the case of the promenade, which he likes so much, they have no other options. If not for the help of Ian, such a tantrum could have lasted an hour, or even more.
Posting a photo of Ian online, Natalie added: “This man, my hero, would think that this is just a childish tantrum and move on. But he asked little Rudy what his name was, and then I had to tell him about the illness and similar breakdowns. To which Ian replied: “Understood. Then I will lie down with him!”
You rarely see this kind of empathy from strangers. Someone will simply pass by, but many will begin to condemn the mother or give her advice on how to raise children in general and boys in particular. And you involuntarily think: what would I do in such a situation?
Natalie’s story shows once again that you should not jump to conclusions. We never know what is happening in other people’s lives and what problems they have. And perhaps it is better for us not to rush to condemn them and try to show participation and sympathy. Ian, who was not afraid to do this, became not only a hero for Rudy and Natalie, but also for us.