Taking out Moishy in public has ironically always been a challenge. He is always stared at by kids and adults and I see people who cross the street to avoid him. People just like I used to be. It hurts because I know how much I love him and how much love he has to give. His teachers and volunteers throughout his life has always realized how special and yummy he is. He brings smiles to people’s faces and from being his Father I finally learned what all my friends who worked at HASC had always known. When you work with a special needs child you get back more than you give.
I wanted to do something that could bring awareness that those with special needs are not so different than you and I. I wanted to create an iconic product that people world-wide could associate with special needs. Something that when seen will remind people that it’s ok and encouraged to walk over to a special needs person and share your smile. I wanted to have our own “yellow bracelet” or “pink ribbon” and so I just launched a project called “Zip Up For Special Needs”. It’s a zipper pull in the shape of a heart and my dream is that this symbol of love and connection will bring about true change in how people feel about those with challenges. We have joined together many non-profits including NDSS, Camp HASC, and Yachad to help share in this mission and we are looking for many more partners. Our team created a beautiful video and campaign on KickStarter that is launching this project. I sincerely hope you will join us in our efforts.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kligman/zip-up-for-special-needs