Mom gave biology presentation about son's genetic disorder to high school students — she wasn't prepared for their response

Parents who have children with certain conditions or disorders always fear how their lives will turn out. The first place they experience this fear is when their child goes to school, where they interact with a sea of students. A mom who goes by @amasbury161822 shared that she had similar feelings about her son, Sully. The boy has a rare genetic disorder and the mom was asked to make a presentation about the condition for a biology class for freshman students. She shared a bit of her son's life with the young teenagers in hopes that they might understand and be educated. The mom was stunned to experience their impromptu response.

Sully has a “genetic depletion syndrome” — a rare genetic condition, per the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Also known as Mitochondrial Depletion Syndrome, the condition limits the number of mitochondria inside cells, affecting the functions of different organs and the body altogether. It can affect muscles, cause regression in development, weakness and different symptoms, unique in each case. The Division of Genetics, Genomics and Metabolism at Lurie Children’s reported that they had about 3,700 outpatient and 1,100 inpatient cases of genetic disorders among children in 2023. Even though genetic depletion syndrome is rare, the mom was willing to educate high school freshmen on the topic with her son. 

The mom was delighted that the students sat patiently throughout the presentation, but what they did immediately after left her baffled. “The literal moment it was over, they were moving desks and situating themselves on the floor,” she remarked. The woman mentioned that for the last half hour of the class, the students ever so kindly chose to spend time on the floor with Sully without moving, learning more about him and making memories with him. In the glimpses shared by the mom, the students are seen huddled in a circle on the floor with Sully in the center. 

Every little thing the boy did was met with cheers and supportive applause from the students. Sully didn’t do unbelievable things. He was just being himself, smiling, chuckling and enjoying his toys with the freshmen. However, the woman noted that the “mini-adults just enjoyed being kids all over again.” “For that last part of class, the world didn’t seem like such a scary palace for my kids to grow up in,” she noted. As a human being and even more as a mom, her heart was filled to see the support and encouragement the future of the world had to offer to the little boy. They gave him the space to be himself and applauded his heart, his nature and his effort above everything else. 

In an endearing caption, the mom wrote, “I’d like to keep him little forever, but if he turns out like one of these kids, letting him grow up wouldn’t be so bad.” Many moms and adults agreed with her. @generic5678432 wrote, “I’m blown away by the sweetness I’ve seen in teenagers lately, it makes me a lot less scared for my son.” @hannahmccauley5 added, “It’s moments like these that remind you that the world isn’t always scary.” @msvic remarked, “We were all kids once. I’m happy they welcomed him with open arms.”

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