When kids look a bit different when they’re young, for some reason they tend to get picked on and bullied. One 7-year-old boy from Oklahoma knows this to be true.
Madden was born with a cleft lip and a condition called heterochromia iridum, which means he has two different eye colors. Growing up, he was bullied and teased for both things in school. While it seems as though having these conditions can be hard and lonely for a young kid, Madden’s mom said the family has found a solution and it’s amazing. She told “Love What Matters,” that the family had found a cat with both a cleft lip and the same two colored eyes–amazing.
Last week, a friend posted an image of the cat in our cleft moms group. This kitty was taken in by a rescue group in Minnesota. We knew immediately that this kitty was meant to be part of our family. Not only does he have a cleft lip like our 7-year-old son Madden, he also has complete heterochromia iridum, like Madden. They were destined to be best friends. Funny how a pet can make you feel less alone.
Madden, who named his new best friend “Moon,” are apparently getting along incredibly.
We’re usually not spontaneous people, but we knew that we were meant to love this kitty. Moon, the kitty, and Madden are the perfect companions for each other. In a word full of bullies and hateful words, we will choose to chase love. I think it’s safe to say that this kitty is love, and was certainly meant to be part of our journey and Madden’s journey.
Madden has undergone a lot in his young life, like countless surgeries for his cleft lip and some more to go. His mother said she had no idea he would go viral from this story but hopes the message can raise awareness and help end bullying.
I had no intention of our family getting attention from this at all, but if anything does get attention, I truly hope it benefits kids with cleft lips, if only to raise awareness.
Madden agrees with that message, as he’s been featured in anti-bullying videos and campaigns before.
https://www.facebook.com/owassoisms/videos/10155528463926802/
There were a few kids saying really ugly, mean things to him. It really broke his spirit and he had a rough year. The bullying still rears its nastiness once in a while, but the only thing we can do is try to change our perception on bullies, and try to change the way it affects us. Unfortunately, there will probably always be an unkind person that we’ll encounter. It will always sting and hurt, but we can’t control other people’s behavior, so we will just try our best to change our own mindset.
It’s amazing to see such a happy ending to a story like this. You can follow Madden and Moon and all of their adventures on their Instagram page.