You know when you go somewhere and you see someone “different” and you just stare. Well when I was younger I was that person, but now I understand and it has changed me for the better.

About four years ago my Yaya had cancer. She unfortunately lost all of her hair and wore bandanas every time she left the house. People would always stare at her like there was something wrong with her.When I was with her and and my two cousins, we went to the store that my grandma gets her bandanas from.

So my cousins and I decided to get  matching bandanas to wear with our grandma. Our plan was to raise awareness and show people that it doesn't matter what you look like, everyone is different for a reason.

So our plan did work. People were looking at us but, not in a bad way. People were complimenting us and saying our grandma was so strong and her granddaughters were so brave and amazing.

My cousins Joseph and Anthony have severe autism. Joseph just graduated from high school and he is in his first year of college. Anthony on the other hand, his case of autism is much more severe than Joseph. Anthony can not talk fluently, has seizures and a couple years ago started running away.

He would sneak out in through his window. He would pop the screen out and then jump out. There were times he was found in the neighbors houses jumping on people's beds. He was once found on the side of a busy highway with his diaper and an exercise ball.

Around the same time he was left on a school bus alone with no adult supervision. Since he could not talk and his seat was towards the back of the bus I guess no one saw him. The bus was also a minibus. Something that a lot of people could not understand was that there were six children on the bus, a bus driver and an aid. Later there was an investigation that had started. My aunt was on the news talking to News 12 Long Island about this horrible situation.

Some things that were figured out was that was that the bus driver told the police that after her “last stop” she went to her sons house to use the restroom when poor Anthony was stuck on the bus hopeless. That bus driver and aid lost their job and my aunt removed Anthony from this school. My aunt says” You know when you put your child on a bus to go to school , and you know they are safe and with the best hands possible, well that is what I used to think.”

After searching and searching my aunt found a new school for Anthony. It was an hour and a half from their house but my aunt finally can trust these people.He is learning to talk, brush his teeth, and say his ABC’s.To this day Anthony is still in the same school.

When my family and I go to Splish Splash or an amusement park with Anthony people always stare.I know its life people have eyes and will always stare, but be nice do not mock him and laugh.What if that person was you? Would you want people to stare at you?

Anthony is not patient so waiting in lines for a ride or getting him off the ride with attract a lot of attention, but that does not mean to laugh and give him or my family a dirty look. He does not know any better. He is human just like the rest of us. So my aunt found out at Adventureland they have these passes that we use to skip the line for Anthony. This caused a lot less attention and was somewhat better for us.

I remember a couple years ago, that every year we would go to the autism walk. We would all wear the Autism shirts and pull Anthony in a red wagon.The people at the fundraiser were understanding and knew what was going on.I wish that everyone acted like the people at that fundraiser because it really taught me more about how people deal with cancer and autism.I want to raise awareness because it is ok to be different. Different is the new unique and unique is awesome.