A South Florida mother is on a mission for families with special needs children. She wants restaurants to create special hours so these families can dine out. Rosh Lowe has her story in The Lowedown.
Ari Cohen loves life. He loves playing outside. Loves eating French fries, but life at times is not easy for Ari or his mom Leah. Ari was born with a rare chromosomal disorder.
Leah Cohen, son has special needs: “The percentage of kids who have Trisomy 9 Mosaic don’t live past their first birthday.”
Ari can’t speak. He communicates through this device. His mom says when he was born, the doctors didn’t give him long to live, but now he is 13 years old, and his mom Leah believes it is his mission to impact and uplift other people.”
Leah Cohen: “I think one of the things that keeps me going is that something good is gonna come out of this.”
Leah was determined to make sure something good happened. And she got an idea during a recent trip to New York.
Leah Cohen: “Somebody walked right by him and said, ‘I’m so glad we weren’t sitting next to them on the airplane.’”
Leah heard comments like those in restaurants too. So she had an idea — what if restaurants created special hours for special needs children?
Leah Cohen: “Parents and children of the same sort are all together. So if my kid is smearing ketchup on the floor, and your kid is emptying salt packets, I don’t need to put my head down.”
A New York restaurant did just that and opened its doors early for Leah and her family.
Leah wrote about it on Facebook.
Leah Cohen: “The response that came from it was not just one of support from people around the country and the globe. It was, ‘This was happening to me too. I can’t take my child to a restaurant.’”
New York newspapers picked up her story and then a restaurant in Surfside called Backyard BBQ & Brew decided to try the same thing…
Look at these faces enjoying their lunches…
Offy Shiffman, owns restaurant: “If we see there is a real need for it and demand for it, we will make it happen.”
Moms like Michele Saka think there is a real need for it. She is there with her 5-year-old son who has special needs.
Michele Saka, son has special needs: “Mark is the happiest little boy I know. Mark needs to know how to go out to a restaurant. He needs to know how to function.”
Sarah Dworkan’s son Eli was born with a rare genetic disorder. She says going out to eat with him is a challenge.
Sarah Dworkan, son has special needs: “He should have the most regular life possible because why not? Every child deserves that. I think what Leah is doing is incredible.”
And for Leah Cohen, she wants to fight for her son, who’s been battling the odds since day one.
Leah Cohen: “I feel like he’s trapped. That’s when I fall apart. For me, I can deal with it. It’s my kid. I just want him to be happy and I want him to be healthy and I want him to be who he is.”
On this day, she sees just that. When she looks around this restaurant, she sees the families impacted by her work. She sees happiness. And the hope is that many more children and families in this situation will find that comfort as well.
Wow would love to meet this wonderful mom…
As somebody who volunteered with special needs children for three years I am definitely in favor of this idea. Everybody needs a chance & sense of belonging and special needs children are no exception!!
Love you Leah 😉
I’m a special education teacher and I work with students who have severe developmental (think autism), and intellectual disabilities. I’m also a baal’as teshuva and Lubavitch. I lived in CH for several years and worked with a child with Down syndrome almost the entire time I lived in CH. I was often really put off at the looks from community members that this really incredible kid would get from ADULTS. I can understand how overwhelming and potentially embarrassing it may be for parents with children with more noticeable special needs and behaviors to be out in public. But that’s just… Read more »
Leah, you and I spoke not so long ago, i was asking if Florida was a good place to be if you have a special child. You were so helpful to me and we hope to see you soon pg. Everyone who reads this story, stand up for children and their families who have a child with special needs. Help them, and dont be unkind. Before I had children, it nevr was a thought that i would have a child with challenges, but it can and does happen to many many people. My son was treated like a leper, and… Read more »
Kids are kids and just because their chromosomes got a bit scrambled doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be allowed to do normal things.
I would like to just take it a step further. Have a unity day where these kids can enjoy a meal together with “regular” families who have room in their hearts to accept them and share a meal with them without condescending looks.
I would love to be there.
M.Z.
Leah you are an inspiration!
What an amazing woman and kudos to the restaurants that will follow suit. Favorite part is when she says that if her child is smearing ketchup and the “normal” kid is opening all the salt…kids are kids and all our Special kids and their families deserve to enjoy eating out. Leah Rocks!!!
A fan!