Photo: GoFundMe
Thousands of people from around the world tweeted kind messages in support of a nonverbal man with autism who had a heartbreaking question for his mother.
On Oct. 30, mom Kerry Bloch heard something she has never heard before: her 21-year-old son, David, asked her a question for the very first time. While the moment was special, David’s words gave a look into the loneliness he was experiencing.
“My 21-year-old autistic son has no communication skills,”tweetedBloch, who lives with David and her husband in Neptune Beach, Florida. “Today he asked me his first question ever. It was, ‘Would someone like me?'”
David began showing severe signs of autism around age 4, Bloch explained in an interview withBuzzFeed News, and he later had to be homeschooled after developing a serious immunodeficiency disorder that left him at risk of developing infections.
“He wants friends badly. He’s home-schooled, and it’s just the three of us,” she told the outlet. “I know he’s lonely and he wants friends.”
According to aGoFundMeset up for David’s medical bills, he also has a mitochondrial disorder and seizures, and the numerous medical challenges he faces have left him feeling alienated from society.
“We are pretty isolated here,” Bloch toldFox News,“and [we] have prayed continually that David would find friends.”
But the family was flooded with love from thousands of people who responded to Bloch’s now-viral tweet, and all wanted to let David know he wasn’t alone.
One of those people was Utah Jazz playerJoe Ingles, who reached out with a kind message and an invitation for the family to attend a game.
“Kerry, there [are] 2 people in Utah that like your son a lot, my wife @RenaeIngles & I!” the 32-year-old small forward replied. “We would love to invite you guys to a Jazz game!plz let me know & I’ll sort it out!”
Not only that, David is abig fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and members of the team sent him a personal video message to let him know they had his back.
“You have a whole team that likes you and is a fan of you, David!” the team wrote in the tweet. “We’re honored to be your favorite team.”
The tweet even got the attention of actressRosie O’Donnell, who wrote back to David with a simple message: “I like u.”
As of Monday morning, Bloch’s tweet has received more than 72,000 likes and 5,400 retweets.
source: people.com
