MILTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A family in Milton who received an anonymous letter earlier in the summer calling their son’s toys an “eyesore” have a new reason to smile this week thanks to the Flutie family.
Three-year-old Rylan Gregorio was all smiles as he watched workers put in the new fence for his kid kingdom.
“He’s been nothing but excited,” Rylan’s father Ian Gregorio said. “That’s all he’s talked about is that fence.”
The Milton home is located on the corner of a busy street but Ian said that does not keep his fun-loving and imaginative son from playing and waving to passersby.
Earlier in the summer, the Gregorio family received an anonymous letter calling the yard which is adorned with a number of colorful castles and slides an “eyesore” and the family “hoarders.”
That story caught the attention of the Flutie Foundation, an organization founded by former Boston College star, Doug Flutie and his wife in honor of their son Doug Jr. who also has autism.
“We at the Flutie Foundation saw the initial piece about the Gregorio family and we reached out to them, we wanted to help them in some way, shape or form,” a spokesperson for the foundation said.
The family told the organization they could really use a fence to replace the temporary one Ian had set up.
“We thought the best thing for Rylan would be a fence to help him stay safe on a busy street,” Ian said.
The foundation came through and the fence was installed on Tuesday while little Rylan looked on, snacking on an ice cream sandwich and supervising the construction.
“He’s super overwhelmed with it. He loves the workers and he loves the fence,” Ian said.
The grateful father said his family is also overwhelmed by the support they have received.
While some may still see an eyesore, he said he sees a place where Rylan can indulge his imagination and feel like every other kid.
“I think more people need to understand how autism works and how autistic kids function in their space,” he said.
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