A mother from Arizona has shared a touching story about her wheelchair-bound son who stared "in awe" after seeing a boy "like him" on an advertisement at Target, the Metro reports.
Demi Garza-Pena's son, Ollie, who is almost two years old, uses a wheelchair because he was born with a rare condition called caudal regression syndrome, which paralyzes his lower spine and organs.
This gorgeous puppy without front legs was given a lego wheelchair:While the mother and son were out shopping in Target, Ollie spotted a rare image on a sign which hung above a rack of clothes. The sign featured a young boy in a wheelchair.
"It was just a beautiful moment to see. Him admiring somebody like him because he doesn't get to see that often," Garza-Pena said to KNXV in Arizona.
In a touching post to Facebook, Garza-Pena opened up about how significant the moment was, and how it made her realize the importance of representation when it comes to children with disabilities.
She wrote: "Thank you Target! Today Oliver stopped me dead in his tracks and turned back around to see this picture that he spotted! He just stared at it in awe! He recognized another boy like him, smiling and laughing on a display at Target. Oliver sees kids every day, but he never gets to see kids like him. This was amazing! I am so happy that other kids that pass through here with their parents, will see this! There is a lot of focus on representing diversity, but representing people with disabilities is just as important!"
In an update to the post, Garza-Pena added: "This post was shared so much that it made it to the family and the boy in the Target display. Thank you Colton in Massachusetts for making a difference!!"
Demi also told Fox19 that seeing the advert was a "beautiful moment" for her son.