Local mom trying to find friends for her autistic son, raise awareness about autism

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- Local mom, Faeynyx Rhameil, is hoping to find friends for her 14-year old autistic son Damien Worrell, while raising awareness for autism along the way. 

“He struggles with stuff that other people would struggle with as well but for him it’s more like he has trouble understanding fiction from reality. He doesn’t quite grasp things as well as we do or get over it the same way,” said Rhameil.

She took to a Facebook post on Monday to find other kids his age. He has been in and out of therapy and treatments over the past couple of years and has missed out on meeting more people his age. 

“He doesn’t really get the chance to get out and make friends and stuff like that,” said Rhameil. 

Damien says that he doesn’t like the way others treat him. 

“It just makes me feel down and wanna be different than what I am,” said Worrell. 

“I’ve noticed since he’s been a baby, a lot of people don’t look at him the way they do other kids, they don’t treat them the same way, they more or less look at his behavior and automatically turn their head from him or make fun of him. And I find that disheartening,” said Rhameil. 

She hopes by sharing their story, she can help decrease the stigma surrounding autism. 

“I just wish other people would take the time to get to know someone rather than automatically, ‘oh he’s different,’ or make fun of him or not include him or you know what I mean,” said Rhameil.