A home invasion occurred at the residence of a family with two adopted children. During the vandalism,
hate speech was directed towards the two adopted daughters; nevertheless, their two younger brothers stood up for them without hesitation.
The family woke up as normal, but as they ventured outside, they saw something strange. Given that the Hollis family is from a small Illinois town, they were surprised.
Things like these don’t typically occur. Mother Anne Hollis was utterly stunned to see that their house had been spray painted.
‘Get Outta Here’ and ‘Retard’ were among the hateful phrases that were observed sprayed on their home.
They took this attack very seriously. Furthermore, they think that’s what led to the adoption.
Their two girls with Down syndrome were adopted lately. According to Anne, this day had a significant
impact on her life. Her sons, ages six and seven, made a video to stand by and protect their sisters.
With the help of their parents, they addressed the assembly and asked everyone to stop calling each other ‘retards.’
The Everyone Matters initiative learned about their film and asked for permission to distribute it.
The Hollis family is quite happy that they allowed this to occur.The story took off online, and the original YouTube video has received over a million views.
The boys are seen carrying index cards in the footage. On the cards, ‘For Meg and Alina’ is written next
to the names of their sisters. The remainder of the film uses the index cards to highlight their points.
The first card to rise is the word ‘Realizing,’ with the initial letter of the verb highlighted. This is being done to educate
people about the incorrect usage of the term ‘retard’ and to call attention to the abuse of it when referring to people who have Down syndrome.
They continue by showcasing the abilities and skills of their sisters and stressing how the term ‘retard’does not apply to any of them.
They then gave the audience a brief glimpse into their lives by going into great depth and describing the characteristics of their sisters.
The guys made a special effort to debunk stereotypes about those who have Down syndrome.
After the boys finished using the cards, the video featured a picture of their whole family. At this point, the brothers are asking if you would be willing to assist their sisters.
They implore the listeners to stand with them by speaking positively rather than negatively. Their mission is to foster love,
respect, and hope. They make it very clear that their sisters are not ‘retards,’ as you’ll see at the end of the movie.
Is it plausible that someone would damage their home in this way? Although it is horrifying that this family had to go through this, at least they are growing as a result of it.
Watch the following video: