Just imagine losing not one, but both of your parents. Now imagine being a young boy. Well, that’s what happened to one lad. For a child who’s only 9-years-old, that has to be so frightening. The people you’ve always loved and depend on are now gone.
This became the reality for Robbie Ecuyer. First, his mother Shelly passed away from cystic fibrosis and gastroparesis on May 2 at just 37 years of age. But then the unthinkable happened. Only 22 days later, his dad, Robert, died after a long battle with addiction. His world turned upside down.
An angel to the rescue
Fortunately for Robbie, his aunt Crystal, who lives in New York, was granted legal guardianship. While she was also grieving the deaths, especially that of her sister, she knew she had to be there for this boy. After all, this was a horrible situation. Now, it was up to her to find a way to lift his spirits.
She came up with an incredible idea
After giving it a lot of thought, Crystal devised a plan. This would honor her late sister and brother-in-law but also help Robbie feel better. She would reach out to people, asking them to send photos to her nephew of both single and double rainbows. It was simple idea. So, while she expected some people to respond, she had no idea of the outpouring that was about to happen.
4,000 photos and counting
That’s right. As soon as the word of Robbie’s story began circulating around the internet, it didn’t take long for people to respond. At this point, Robbie has received more than 4,000 photos of gorgeous rainbows. He even received some all the way from Taiwan.
Robbie has global support
Instead of feeling as though he’s all alone going through the grieving process, Robbie knows he has an entire world lending support. Strangers have taken time out of their lives to do something to make this boy feel better. And, their efforts have worked.
Crystal explains it best
“The first loss, my sister, was hard enough.” Crystal also shares that Robbie is autistic. And because of all the inconsistencies in his short life, he ultimately lost everything — his parents, bedroom, and even toys. She goes on to say that gaining custody of him helped with her depression.
Robbie loves rainbows
It’s common for kids with autism to focus on one specific thing. In Robbie’s case, it’s rainbows. But when his mother passed away, he was told she went “over the rainbow.” So, this natural phenomenon has an even more special meaning to this sweet boy. The photos people have sent mean everything to him.
Robbie especially loves photos of double rainbows. For him, it symbolizes that his mom and dad are now together. Thanks to Crystal, she turned of horrible situation into something beautiful. While this boy won’t ever have his mom and dad back, he’s found a sense of peace thanks to strangers. He loves all his rainbow photos, especially the double ones.
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Source: ABC News, YouTube, Facebook
