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We’ve all witnessed those screaming kids who don’t want to tell Santa what they want for Christmas. However, for a child with autism, they’re not just a little nervous-they’re terrified. The crowds, the lights and the noise can be very difficult for them to take on.
When the parents of 6-year-old Brayden found out he had autism, they figured getting a traditional Christmas photo of him and Santa would be next to impossible. They were wrong.

This year, they got their perfect Christmas shot in a much better way than they could have ever imagined for the second year in a row. Caring Santa, organized by the group Autism Speaks, came to Charlotte, North Carolina to give Brayden and other children with autism the chance to spend some quality time with good ol’ St. Nicholas. It wasn’t a normal sit-on-the-lap kind of thing, though. The stores were already closed when Brayden stepped through the door, and the warm-up time was as long as he wanted.
Brayden’s mom Erin Deely said, “They let you take all the time you need to warm up to Santa, so Brayden started out far away. He knew who Santa was, but he was shy.”

After a few minutes passed, Santa brought out a snow globe, put it next to Brayden and then sat back in his chair. When Brayden crawled over to play with it, Santa laid down on his belly and joined him.
Deely said,”They didn’t even talk to each other, really, they just bonded and played, and Brayden started to really be excited and started looking at him and smiling.”

Autism Speaks executive Lisa Goring explained that the organization creates a controlled environment so that hanging out with Santa can be a stress-free experience for everyone involved.
“We know for some kids with autism, the idea of going into a mall and an environment they’re not used to has a lot of sensory challenges,” she said.

Caring Santa has 120 locations, and many of the serving Santas already act the role for the malls, but they receive additional training through the program and learn how to connect with autistic children. Goring said, “It’s a great way for families to experience a holiday tradition,” and Deely agreed.
After about 20 minutes with Santa, Brayden even dished out a high-five for the jolly guy. Deely said, “At the end, he didn’t want to leave. He kept saying, ‘More Santa.’”

Source

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This would be an awesome place to throw a rave.

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To soothe her children while the shooting was still happening, Faith sang to them.

During the tragedy that was the Westgate Mall massacre in Nairobi last year, one mother did something so brave, the world will never forget it. Her name is Faith Wambua-Luedeling. She was with her young son and daughter when the gunmen began open firing at the shoppers.
She pressed her children to the ground in the mall, helping them play “dead,” even as gunshots continued to ring out.

“We were just lying there — there would be shooting going on, then it would stop,” she told NBC News. “There were times I could hear the bullet casing dropping on the floor near us. We could smell the gunpowder and we would really be scared.”
Even though Faith was terrified herself, she did what she could to keep her children safe. New York Times photojournalist Tyler Hicks captured the iconic photograph of Faith protecting her children.
More than 60 people were killed that day by Al Shabaab, a militant Islamist group based in Somalia. Faith and her two children hid for over 5 hours, lying on the floor. She sweetly sang to her son and daughter along to the wordless mall music, just to keep them quiet.
What this mother did for them was incredible, and her bravery deserves to be shared.

In this photo provided on Friday Feb. 14, 2014 by World Press Photo, the 2nd prize in the Spot News Stories category of the 2014 World Press Photo Contest by Tyler Hicks, USA, The New York Times, shows a woman and children hiding after gunmen had opened fire in the Westgate mall in Nairobi, Kenya, Sept. 21, 2013. They escaped unharmed. At least 39 people were killed in one of the worst terrorist attacks in

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