Remember Alejandro

I can’t stop being horrified by the story tucked into page three of Sunday’s S-R (May 24). A Miami mom murdered her son, Alejandro Ripley, age 9, who had autism and was nonverbal. After her first attempt to drown him in a canal failed (he was rescued by witnesses), Alejandro was found floating in a different canal on May 22. I can only imagine the fear this child with no voice had when he realized his own mother had driven him to a more secluded canal, where he drowned.

My daughter, age 35, has autism, OCD, and is also nonverbal. In 2009, the CDC estimated 1 in 110 children was diagnosed with autism. In 2014, the rate was 1 in 68. By 2018, it was 1 in 59. Now, in 2020, it is 1 in 54! Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability. Is it a contagious pandemic? No. But it is worldwide and does not discriminate with race, religion or economic status.

My daughter has the more severe form of autism. She will not wear anything on her face, including reading glasses (or even dental glasses!), clips in her hair, Halloween masks or medical masks. Please don’t judge everyone not wearing a mask as thoughtless. But I digress …

Alejandro Ripley should have a children’s park named after him. He should not be forgotten. If not for all other horrible news in the country today, I’m sure Alejandro would have received the front-page attention his sad story deserved!

Robin Isherwood

Spokane