Danny Oquendo is the older brother of Avonte Oquendo, the 14-year-old missing child with autism who was later found dead in New York City. Danny, with dreams of one day becoming a lawyer and helping students with autism and other special needs, recently wrote a heartfelt letter to New York City and everyone else who supported them, saying thank you for coming together to help find his brother.
On the Autism Speaks site, the letter begins:
New York City; the City of Dreams. With a reputation for being the hardest place on Earth to succeed, it is frequently described as a cold, unforgiving, cut-throat Metropolis. New Yorkers are labeled as rude, impatient, aggressive, and unsympathetic. I’m writing to tell you that this reputation the rest of the world assumes is far from the truth. Although the daily New York experience may feel like one of isolation amongst crowds, any true New Yorker will tell you that when it matters most, this city comes together in larger numbers than any other community on the planet as proven after the tragedy of 9/11. This tendency for New Yorkers to come together also held true during the city-wide search for my younger brother, Avonte Oquendo.
As a native New Yorker, I am touched by Danny’s words and I can honestly say that New Yorkers truly do know how to come together in times of need. To read the rest of Danny’s letter visit Autism Speaks.