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| Robbie admires his rainbow from a distant. Photo: Jessica Volt |
A New York woman is asking people to lift her nephew’s
spirits by sending him pictures of single and double rainbows from around the
world.
spirits by sending him pictures of single and double rainbows from around the
world.
Now, Robbie has received more than 4,000 rainbow pictures
from as far away as Taiwan.
from as far away as Taiwan.
“It’s very comforting knowing that so many people have
reached out to him with the simple request of a rainbow,” Crystal
Skawinski told ABC News Thursday. “It’s like he has a whole world behind
him now.”
reached out to him with the simple request of a rainbow,” Crystal
Skawinski told ABC News Thursday. “It’s like he has a whole world behind
him now.”
Skawinski, 37, a mom of two from Cohoes, New York, said that
she gained custody of her her nephew, Robbie Ecuyer, 9, after her sister and
brother-in-law died in May, just 22 days apart.
she gained custody of her her nephew, Robbie Ecuyer, 9, after her sister and
brother-in-law died in May, just 22 days apart.
Shelly Ecuyer died from gastroparesis and cystic fibrosis on
May 2, while Robbie’s dad, Robert Ecuyer, died after a battle with addiction on
May 24, Skawinski said. Soon after, Skawinski became Robbie’s legal guardian.
May 2, while Robbie’s dad, Robert Ecuyer, died after a battle with addiction on
May 24, Skawinski said. Soon after, Skawinski became Robbie’s legal guardian.
“The first loss, my sister, was hard enough,”
Skawinski added. “He lost his bedroom, his toys, his mom, his dad and
everything that was consistent in his life. Robbie is autistic and the
consistency in life is what [he is] used to, so all of that was taken away.
Skawinski added. “He lost his bedroom, his toys, his mom, his dad and
everything that was consistent in his life. Robbie is autistic and the
consistency in life is what [he is] used to, so all of that was taken away.
“[Gaining custody] helped pull me out of the depression
from the death of my sister. There was no second-guessing. Robbie was mine now
and that was that.”
from the death of my sister. There was no second-guessing. Robbie was mine now
and that was that.”
Skawinski said that Robbie, who loves rainbows, was told
that his mom went “over the rainbow bridge” when she had died. The
day she passed, a double rainbow appeared over Robbie’s school and a family
member, Erica Toma, snapped a picture.
that his mom went “over the rainbow bridge” when she had died. The
day she passed, a double rainbow appeared over Robbie’s school and a family
member, Erica Toma, snapped a picture.
“I sent [the photo] to his father to help make a mental
picture for Robbie,” Toma told ABC News. “As you see, one rainbow so
strong and another quite vague — another symbol for Robbie to understand mommy
was waiting for daddy. Now we find double rainbows all over.”
picture for Robbie,” Toma told ABC News. “As you see, one rainbow so
strong and another quite vague — another symbol for Robbie to understand mommy
was waiting for daddy. Now we find double rainbows all over.”
The rainbow brought a lot of joy to Robbie, but when another
one didn’t show up one day, his aunt, Skawinski, decided to find other rainbows
from around the world.
one didn’t show up one day, his aunt, Skawinski, decided to find other rainbows
from around the world.
“When he didn’t get a rainbow one day, I just went on
Facebook and started asking for them,” Skawinski said.
Facebook and started asking for them,” Skawinski said.
On July 22, Skawinski began requesting rainbows using the
hashtag #rainbowsforrobbie.
hashtag #rainbowsforrobbie.
“It’s raining so Robbie came out to check for
rainbows,” she wrote in the original post. “Make sure you send me
rainbow pics if you have them!!!!”
rainbows,” she wrote in the original post. “Make sure you send me
rainbow pics if you have them!!!!”
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