Mom Sees Photo of Disabled Son Used to Make Fun of Him, Takes Matter into Own Hands
Finding out your child has been bullied can be an earth-shattering moment for any parent. Finding out your child with a disability has been put down by others, can be even more so.
Growing up facing a host of challenges has been a part of Jameson’s life since he entered the world.
Born with a rare genetic disorder called Pfeiffer Syndrome, Jameson’s disorder meant that the bones of his skull fused too early, which can often lead to developmental and neurological issues.
It was this disorder that caused his mother, AliceAnn Meyer, to begin writing blog posts in order to keep family and friends informed of Jameson’s condition as well as his everyday adventures with his two siblings.
However, what started out as a fun and optimistic way to chronicle Jameson’s life turned into a nightmare for the Texas mother of three. Soon enough she realized it was from this blog that her son was being made fun of online.
Jameson’s picture was shared far and wide over the internet as Meyer found it associated with a cruel meme. Fighting back, Meyer reported every version of the image she could find, writing a heartfelt response to what many saw as just a joke.
“If you are going to laugh and share this meme, I think you should know exactly what it is you are sharing and laughing at,” Meyer wrote in her post and whose story was picked up by TODAY and Huffington Post.
“So, to everyone that ‘LOL’d’, shared, and posted that meme, let me start by introducing you to the child you find so funny,” she added.
“His name is Jameson. He is very real, and he was born with Pfeiffer syndrome.”
From others laughing at the photo to comparing him to a pug, the mother admitted that the battle for her son’s equality in the world is a “non-stop fight.” As if living in a nightmare that never ends, Meyer stated that for every image she successfully gets removed, another reappears.
“I wish there were more safeguards for our children in circumstances like this,” Meyer admitted to TODAY Parents.
“It seems that if a report by anyone involves a child, the content should immediately be disabled until the issue is reviewed by a staff member … I can’t track down every meme of Jameson out there, but if we were able to get results by reporting as strangers, we could build a safer cyber environment for our kids.”
However, along with the vast cyber-bullying of her son, Meyer admits to the abundant support she’s received from others within the Facebook community and tries to focus on the positive aspects, particularly those that have reached out to share their own stories.
“If you are the parent whose child says another child looks funny or scary, don’t simply say, ‘That isn’t a nice thing to say’,” Meyer wrote in a similar post for her blog.
Meyer presses on in her post, stating that parents need to do more to introduce their children to others that are different, effectively breaking the barrier of “fearing” disabilities or others that may seem different.
“My child is just like yours, he can be sweet, loving, throw temper tantrums, and be a handful,” Meyer said. “And I assure you, I am just like you, I am a parent learning my way through this.”
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