Posted on 06/17/2013 5:42:11 PM PDT by grundle
What is wrong with this picture?
It's one of those things that you don't get, until you get it. Unless you are eternally empathetic, you look at this photo and don't see much wrong at all.
To Anne Belanger, mother of Miles, the photo is unbearable to look at.
When the class portrait for her son's Grade 2 class came home, she opened it excitedly, and immediately shoved it back in the envelope. She couldn't look at it. It broke her heart.
Anne's son, Miles, has Spinal Muscular Atrophy. At the age of 13 months, his parents were told that Miles would never walk, he has spent his life in a wheelchair.
Miles knows he's different than the rest of the kids, but he still tries to fit in. So there he is, on the far side of the image, neck craning as far as he can to stretch into the frame with the rest of his friends. He's beaming. It's school picture day and he's thrilled.
But the photo still broke Anne's heart. The photo was a clear example of how set apart her son is from society. Instead of a big group hug photo with Miles at the center, and classmates and teachers all around, a fully inclusive image, he was stuffed off to the side, some 3 feet away. An after thought, it seems.
(Excerpt) Read more at shine.yahoo.com ...
The chair is right up against the end of the bench. It couldn’t get any closer. They could have moved the class over off center of the benches.
The photographer is a moron.
I did this for a living, and the days are long and you can get sick of it. But...when you can take two minutes and make a kid feel great, it is the best feeling in the world.
Whomever did this should not be allowed near a school again.
Bleeep!
When I was in grade school we had a situation similar... a really nice nice and genuinely kind spirited kid named Bryan... the school... an older building constructed as part of the depression publicworks had to be retrofitted for his wheelchair with a ramp the head custodian built at the back of the lunchroom/former basketball court/theater.
Everyone was uncertain of Bryan at first... because he was so very different... very small and deformed and underdeveloped physically, but he came to be a great friend to everyone... my friends and I would take turns bringing him to lunch...or to classes. It was a kinda amazing thing actually... some of the biggest meanest bullies in school even knew their place and genuinely respected Bryan for how trying and frustrating his everyday life was.
I do distinctly recall yearbook pictures... Bryan would be right there with everyone like no big deal at all... not necessarily put in the middle of shots, not off to the side. One of us kids.
I saw a lot of compassion from kids that you normally wouldn’t expect it from... different world now, I guess... everyone is so closed in upon their own little virtual world...
Boo hoo hoo. Somebody call a wahhhh!-mbulance.
The kid looks happy as a clam. It's a shame his mother is such a selfish skunk.
That is the 21st century solution. And it is perfect.
Sorry but it’s not the child who is unhappy. It’s the Mom. She needs to stop looking at her child with pity and see him as the smiling child that he is. SHE sees him as being a lesser child and wants special treatment for him. This is about HER pain and disappointment, not his.
Are you new to computers?
and yes, it does look like the kid in the wheelchair is straining to be closer to the group. I sure hope the little guy wasn't too bothered by this.
Always nice to see how many heartless people frequent FR. ( not referring to you kabumpo)
>> “Who-da thunk it...122 replies and no “I’d Hit it!” for the teacher.” <<
.
Skinny, crooked legs, knobby knees, nah.
We had the situation in our 8th grade Grad pic. The kid was put in the center! His brother was a real champ they were like a year apart, he always had his bro in class with all his books and whatever he needed for the two years I was there! that included all bathroom stops, lunch and loaded off and on.
The kid should have recieved a medal and still retained a 4.0
Through High school doing the same. If you ever had a brother like that you would be proud! Sad to say Ernie passed on about 6 mons. after High School but we always had a spot in our hearts for them both.
Personally, I think the mother should have made nice over what a happy face he had and how pleased she was with his school picture. The kid wouldn't have thought twice. With all the challenges this kid has, this seems so trivial.
Again, the kid didn't seem to care, he didn't come home crying that he was set apart or anything. If it didn't bother him, it shouldn't bother her.
We defend the weakest among us. We encourage those who start to falter. We protect our young and vulnerable. We display compassion and strength in the same stance.
We believe all are created equal and are gifts from God. We stand guard when the jackals are circling our numbers.
At least, many of us do so.
Made me sad too. He should be in the middle with them around him.
The child will be spending his entire life in a chair, I feel bad for him but he seems to be smiling and handling it well. Maybe his mother needs to get with the program too.
Exactly. It would have been nice if the teacher and the photographer had thought enough to get the kid better placed, but it’s a minor little nothing in the grand scheme for him and his family.
I woulda Photoshopped it for her... $10 tops.
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