Proof a little reptile "love" goes a long way

[zeion97]

I'll give you a little back story here, stay tuned and read this post, you'll be happy you did.. I have two younger brothers, both have autism, my youngst brother having it worse than my middle brother. He had no communication skills and couldn't make friends, being picked on almost every day just made this situation worse. It was this way since he started junior high, if you're younger or have kids you know that school is hard some times, especially in the current days. Well one day I brought home my first snake I could actually own and keep, my brother was Completely terrified of him. He refused to go near it and even cried thinking it could kill him. Well as the weeks went by he was around him more and more and slowly came around till one day he touched him. My little BP Simba just kinda did his thing and sat there. Fast forward a few weeks and he one day held him all by himself, with a huge smile across his face. No more fear was present at all. I felt good sharing my own love of reptiles with. Y brother, but it ment more later on then it did at this point. At the time I didn't know just how much this built his self esteem and his confidence.

So the weeks continue to go by and NARBC Tinley park is sneaking up on us faster than ever, when out of the blue my brother asked if he could come.. It shocked me, with all the crowds, the normal of people and even being that far away from home (two hours, it might not seem like a lot but this is from a child who thinks going 20 minutes is scary!) so he ended up coming with us to Tinley Park, he was quite shy at first but once inside and we were moving around he opened up to people like he had known them for years. He even went as far as picking out my Cinnamon BP and even getting his picture taken with Bubba The Alligator. This one day at the show changed my brother for the better, I had never seen him so happy in my life.

I look at him today and see a person who has changed more than I could ever believe, he now tries to build friends with anyone and everyone, his confidence level is through the roof even with the ladies! (little joke in there...) but most of all he loves reptiles now. 2 years ago my brother was terrified and wouldn't go near them, now he can't wait to come visit me and help take care of them, but most of all Tinley Park. Whenever he make friends now he always tells them about my snakes and says they should come by and see them, a little odd but it has it's positive points. Through my brother I've helped educate close to a dozen more kids on reptiles, some saying they were scary, to some saying they were "slimy scaley things" quoted directly. Infact two of the children now own Snakes themselves, one has a BP and another a BP and Corn. It might not seem like much what you do today, but remember that it can positively reflect how our children, family, and even friends see reptiles. To some of us they're a hobby, to others there our beloved pets, to others they're a passion in the end we all have one love, rReptiles. Some times we don't notice just how far a chain reaction can go, and I'm happy that mine went this far and has touched so many lives.

I also want to add that reptiles can do to autistic children what cats and dogs do, they can help them open up to the world. I talked to Jim Nesci (owner of cold blooded creatures) about the positive effects that reptiles have on autistic children and it really is fantastic. A child who never talks can pick up a reptile some times and immediately turn into a blooming flower.

In the end, never doubt what you love can do for others, wether they be autistic, or just the "average" kid, never doubt. I hope everyone enjoys reading this, I put 45 minutes into sharing this story. Here's some picture from two weeks ago of the child who once feared snakes.

[TerrieL]

Great story, thank you very much for sharing

[treeboa]

I love stories like this! Thanks for sharing.

[RoseyReps]

Very touching and beautiful story!
When we got our very first ball python, we stopped by my brother's house on the way home. My nephew (his son) is autistic. We weren't sure how he was going to react, so we told him about it. He was very excited to see it. I let him hold it for a few minutes, and he was quietly whispering to it. He then handed her back to me and very matter of factly said "The snakes name is Henna".

Henna is now 850g (she was 89g when they met) and she is the first thing he asks about when I see him and he goes directly to the rack and points to her tub asking to see her. He doesn't ask to see any of my other 10 snakes, just Henna. The sheer joy on his face when he gets to hold her is worth 10x+ the price we paid for her. It never ceases to amaze me

[bhouse89]

The more I read stories like this, the happier I am that I joined the loving and amazing community that is BP.net. Thank you very much for sharing your story.

[DNACurtusK]

That was a beautiful story, and so touching. Thank you so much for sharing.....very inspirational....

[MCE]

Thank you very much for posting this! I don't even keep snakes, but saw this on Facebook and had to let you know you're an awesome person and your brother is lucky to be loved so much! If only more people shared your compassion and realized the gravity their actions have the world would be on track to a much better place! I hope to run into you guys at Tinley, maybe your brother would be into geckos...

[DooLittle]

That is so awesome! Good job, great story.

[zeion97]

Thank you everyone. I am glad that it has been enjoyed, I also I never expected this to get posted on The Reptile Report. It felt good sharing this story but knowing that now a even larger amount can "see" how the little things we do day to day can really effect not only our lives, but the lives of others around us, makes it even better!

Without the next generation our hobby is nothing, remember that Every day we all can do something good to continue Consveration Through Education.

[Tfpets]

Great story! My 2 adopted sons are in the autism spectrum and drug/alcohol exposed. This hobby has done amazing things for both of them. I am so proud of them when they tell people about snakes and other reptiles. It is so fun to watch them showing and teaching customers about the animals at shows and at the shop! They aren't shy at all about any of the animals and know which ones to have more respect for. Even the compassion and understanding of the rat colonies is amazing to watch! They care for the rats like pets but fully understand the purpose for them! They can both take a snake/reptile/rat bite like a champ and just go on working without even flinching! I honestly think our family would be in a different place without this hobby!