6-year-old sticks up for her autistic brother, writes a letter that goes viral
Courtesy: Sophie Camilleri
ENGLAND (KTVU) - A six-year-old girl from southern England is hoping to bring about change through education and awareness, after she found herself defending her autistic brother who was called "weird."
"Some people are different, but we should all be treated the same."
That's the message from Lex Camilleri, who wrote a letter that has been circulated around the world.
Last month, the child's mother, Sophie Camilleri, posted the letter on Facebook, saying that her child was "really upset" after an encounter with a classmate who called her brother "weird."
The thing that upset her child the most, was not the name-calling itself, according to mom. Moreover, it was the fact that the classmate didn't have knowledge or understanding of her brother's condition.
"Lex told the child that her brother has Autism, but the child didn't know what this was," wrote Camilleri in her post.
So her daughter turned that frustration into fuel to bring about change in people's attitudes.
"... from this she said she wanted to make a change, she wanted to talk about 'Disability Awareness In Schools'... so she wrote a letter," explained Camilleri.
Since Camilleri's Oct. 10th post, the letter has been shared more than 31,000 times.
It has also prompted messages from around the globe. People have responded with gratitude and praise, calling Lex brave, courageous, "a great little sister" and "a role model."
Brenda Peters Heeg wrote, "Thank you Lex! It's people like you who will make this world a better place for those who have disabilities."
Many are posting their own stories about their experiences with autism.
Nichol Tone wrote, "My daughter is autistic and I wish my older daughter fought for her sister like your daughter did!! She is an inspiration!!"
The U.K. organization, National Autistic Society, also shared Lex's letter, calling it "moving," and the group showed its support for the child's efforts, saying there needs to be "much more autism understanding in the classroom."
Lex's mother expressed her pride for her daughter for wanting "to change the way other children view others with disabilities."
As Camilleri noted, "She is only 6 years old"-- proof there are no age limits to be an instrument for change.