Diagnosed with autism at an early age, this Tennessee girl is now a published author
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A diagnosis of autism can send a family reeling. And while it can create many challenges, there's also a reason for hope. One Middle Tennessee girl has made amazing strides in life with the help of her relentless parents.
Rainbow Mosho was hitting all the traditional milestones from birth to two years old.
“But at two-and-a-half, there was this sudden drastic change,” said her mother Yadira Calderon. “It’s as if my child was unplugged.”
That’s no exaggeration. It’s as if she’d vanished.
“She stopped talking completely; there was no verbal communication, no language whatever she acquired--gone,” said Calderon.
Calderon was devastated but not for long, she had always wanted to be a mom, and there would be no end to her effort to find her daughter. No matter the difficulty.
“Parents are still being told when their child is being diagnosed you will never hear ‘I love you’ from your child. Your child may end up in an institution. I was never told that. I was given a diagnosis of hope,” said Calderon.
And so Yadira was relentless.
At five, Rainbow learned to write again, but she was still struggling forming words.
Her father, now living in Australia, FaceTimed her every night for an entire year, telling her a long complex story. She never responded until the night he made a mistake.
“All of a sudden, here comes Rainbow, ‘Dad that is not the way you told me the story, this story is blah blah blah. She told him with every detail she heard for one year,” said Calderon.
And the art. It was unbelievable and getting better and better. It finally got to the point now where she has published her first book co-authored by mom.
What I Gained and Lost during COVID19. It’s a story of life and death, of hope and beauty, and of never, ever, ever giving up.
“If we remain focused on the fact that we have challenges and we stop at that point and we don’t do the jump, and realize ‘Oh you can jump the fence and you can find a solution to the challenge’ then we are not growing as human beings.”
Rainbow is now fearless and direct.
“When I feel my love, my love gets bigger and when I don’t feel love, my love gets smaller,” said Rainbow.
Her book is based on long interviews with her mother and Rainbow’s arts. It takes you into her world. Her worst moments: being locked in a bathroom by a teacher, her grandmother’s death. And her best moments: her own beautiful awakening, and the lovely way she sees herself in her self-portraits. And, of course, by the way she is the one that gave herself the name Rainbow.
“I love being called Rainbow because it shows all the beautiful colors of the world and I am the one sending out the biggest message of all time.”
Jump the fence. If Rainbow did it, so can you.
Rainbow’s book is now available on Amazon.
