Non-Verbal Son Tells Mom He Loves Her For First Time

A non-verbal three-year-old brought his mother to tears as he used a specially-designed speaking device to say his first words: "Mom, I love you." The beautiful moment took place at the family home of Jack Malsom, 3, and his mom Angela Beltran, 34, in Portland, Oregon. Jack was born with cerebral palsy, meaning he cannot sit, stand or walk unassisted, and his family home is filled with a number of supportive devices. One device his family was recommended was a Tobii, a screen that registers when the user views certain words and then reads them aloud. On January 14, Angela decided to let Jack use the speech setting. Angela now admits that she was merely expecting her son to "babble" on the device, not being able to form full sentences but just to read a few words at random. Having shown Jack how the setting worked, however, Angela – who was recording the moment – was then shocked when her son opted for his first word to be "Mom." And then, without any persuasion, Jack opted for the next string of words: "I love you."

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