Hearing your childโs 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:
โWe were told that itโs possible that Taylor may never speak.โ
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 McDonaldโs parking lot.
In her interview with Scary Mommy, Briana explained:
โWe were on our way there โ running late โ so I had to go through the closest drive thru to grab her something that she would actually eat.โ
All of a sudden, she heard something incredible come from the backseat of the car.
โWe 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. Thatโs when I heard her say it.โ
What she heard was Taylor say โMama.โ 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:
โI am ugly crying in the McDonaldโs parking lot and the employees probably think Iโm crazy. In the drive thru I suddenly heard Taylor say โMAMA.โ For those of you that donโt know. Taylor is 5 and is nonverbal autistic. She has NEVER said a word. EVER.โ
In the video, Briana helps encourage Taylor to say her new learned word, โMama.โ 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. Itโs footage that pulls on your heartstrings in the most touching way.
The mom ended her Facebook post saying:
โIโm pretty sure I held up the drive thru line but there was no way I wasnโt getting proof of this. I canโt explain how unbelievably grateful and ecstatic I am right now.โ
After Briana shared her video online it quickly went viral.
Taylorโs priceless first-word moment spread like wildfire โ even giving people with non-verbal autistic family members hope for theirs. Itโs also helped other parents in similar situations โfeel less aloneโ in their struggles.
There was yet another very positive outcome from the video as well. Briana shared with Scary Mommy:
โWe 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 thatโs all we can ask for.โ
The touching scene has been watched by people across the globe. Since Love What Matters posted it on their Facebook page, itโs been viewed more than 2.6 million times.
Itโs an uplifting moment you donโt want to miss. Watch it for yourself below!
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