A video of a nonverbal teen went viral showing the teen watching a butterfly machine at an art exhibit. The teen, Odin, was so interested in the machine that it prompted him to say a new word: Butterfly.
After the video went viral, the artist who created the machine, J. C. Fontanive, actually reached out to the family to see if he could send Odin a gift.
As the Frost family shared on Instagram, they were expecting to receive an art print or a card.
However, when the gift arrived, they were shocked to discover that Fontanive had sent an entire butterfly machine!
They said:
“We were shocked and moved to tears.
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That night we just all laid in bed watching and snuggling together. Now it sits at the front of our house and is the first thing people see when you walk in. Such a great conversation starter and room calmer.”
Fontanive makes the butterfly machines by hand. According to his website, it started back in 2004 when he was studying art in London. He created a flip-art machine using parts from old Victorian clocks.
He originally designed the machine to feature hummingbirds but eventually branched into butterflies.
He hand paints each card that goes into the machine and does all of the metalwork and assembly by hand.
Watch the video below to see Odin enjoying his work and receiving the generous gift in the mail:
You can follow the frost family on Instagram, @quaruntim, and J.C. Fontanive on Instagram, @jcfontanive.
Source: The Autism Site Blog
