Hearing your child’s first word is a joy for any parent. However, not all moms and dads ever get to experience the beauty of that moment.
Briana Blankenship knew what it was like to never hear her child speak. Their daughter, Taylor, was five-years-old and nonverbal autistic.
Although it was likely difficult, Briana tried to accept the truth. She told Scary Mommy:
“We were told that it’s possible that Taylor may never speak.”
But then one day, Briana got the most beautiful surprise of her life. Fortunately, it was all captured on video too. The event took place outside of a fast-food restaurant.
The Alabama mom was driving Taylor to her gymnastics class when she decided they should grab something to eat first. So, she pulled into her local McDonald’s parking lot.
In her interview with Scary Mommy, Briana explained:
“We were on our way there — running late — so I had to go through the closest drive thru to grab her something that she would actually eat.”
All of a sudden, she heard something incredible come from the backseat of the car.
“We rarely eat fast food so she recognized that she was about to get her coveted French fries and started getting excited and giggling in the back seat. That’s when I heard her say it.”
What she heard was Taylor say “Mama.” It was such a stunning moment that Briana quickly reached for her phone to record the scene inside the car. Afterward, she even broke down in tears.
Briana later shared on Facebook:
“I am ugly crying in the McDonald’s parking lot and the employees probably think I’m crazy. In the drive thru I suddenly heard Taylor say ‘MAMA.’ For those of you that don’t know. Taylor is 5 and is nonverbal autistic. She has NEVER said a word. EVER.”
In the video, Briana helps encourage Taylor to say her new learned word, “Mama.” The little girl then repeats it with the biggest grin on her face.
She cheers for her daughter, which makes Taylor brighten up even more. Over and over they do it. It’s footage that pulls on your heartstrings in the most touching way.
The mom ended her Facebook post saying:
“I’m pretty sure I held up the drive thru line but there was no way I wasn’t getting proof of this. I can’t explain how unbelievably grateful and ecstatic I am right now.”
After Briana shared her video online it quickly went viral.
Taylor’s priceless first-word moment spread like wildfire – even giving people with non-verbal autistic family members hope for theirs. It’s also helped other parents in similar situations “feel less alone” in their struggles.
There was yet another very positive outcome from the video as well. Briana shared with Scary Mommy:
“We are most excited about bringing Autism into the light on a good and realistic viewpoint. Hopefully with all the attention the video is getting we can encourage more people to educate themselves on autism. With understanding comes acceptance and that’s all we can ask for.”
The touching scene has been watched by people across the globe. Since Love What Matters posted it on their Facebook page, it’s been viewed more than 2.6 million times.
It’s an uplifting moment you don’t want to miss. Watch it for yourself below!
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