I didn't really want to write about this because it isn't about me as much as it is about my nephew.
My nephew, J, is a 5-year-old, autistic boy. He is full of life and full of love, but his autism causes little things to set him off.
Today was the fourth of July, Independence Day. The big firework holiday.
J was pretty excited when he started hearing the fireworks go off in our neighborhood. He was glued to the window trying to get a peek at one. After a while, his granny (my grandmother) decided to take him outside so he could see them.
He goes outside with her for a few minutes, but apparently after a couple particularly loud ones he was ready to come back inside. He reported to us that he saw a rainbow of colors and started naming them; purple, red, and green...
He settled down and sat with my dad in his recliner. My dad was watching tv. J got the out-of-service phone we gave to him and started watching videos on YouTube. My mom was on her phone doing her thing and I was on mine, in our own respective recliners. This went on for at least an hour.
Eventually, we hear the firework finale where they shoot off the remaining ones in rapid succession.
Then several minutes later while my dad is searching for something to watch on Netflix, J goes quiet and my dad gets my attention. "What's wrong with him?"
I look over and J's face is all scrunched up like he's about to cry. We start asking him what's wrong and he starts to sob. He tells us, "I want the fireworks to go away... Make the fireworks stop."
There are still a few fireworks going off in the distance.
My heart breaks immediately and I'm brought to tears.
My dad is holding J and rubbing his back while he continues to sob. I want to hold him myself but I know J finds more comfort in his grandparents.
My dad asks him if he wants to go to his mamaw and he says yeah and goes to her. My mom comforts him for a little bit until he's calmed down some. She tells him to give everybody night-night kisses.
When he gets to me, I ask him if he would like for me and his mamaw to bring him to bed, but he said he just wants mamaw. I just wanted to help if I could.
He fell asleep pretty quickly and I'm glad for it. I'd rather he be asleep than awake and stressed out about fireworks.
It's been about 4 hours since my mom put him to sleep and I don't think he's woken up once. I hope he sleeps through the night. That boy deserves the world.
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