This is the emotional moment that a young boy in a wheelchair was left awestruck by an advertisement featuring a child who looked just like him.
Oliver Garza-Pena—who turns 2 years old next month—has a condition called caudal regression syndrome. Since the condition impairs the development of his lower body, he relies on a wheelchair to move around.
Earlier this month, Oliver had been on a shopping trip with his parents at a Target store in Arizona when he caught sight of a clothing ad depicting another boy in a wheelchair—and he was floored.
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“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!” his parents wrote on Facebook.
“He recognized another boy like him, smiling and laughing on a display at Target,” they continued. “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!”
Since they published a photo of the heartwarming moment to Oliver’s Facebook page “Ollie’s World”, it has been shared more than 30,000 times with the hashtag #RepresentationMatters.
Additionally, the post ended up reaching the news feed of the boy featured in the ad—and Ollie’s parents were delighted over the chance to express their gratitude.
“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!!” they wrote.
Be Sure And Share This Sweet Story Of Representation With Your Friends On Social Media…