Content creator moms share how ‘ausome’ kids redefined motherhood

ABS-CBN News Intern

<p>With unwavering love and resilience, some moms are taking to social media their journey in navigating the world of autism—reshaping the narrative of motherhood, while turning experiences into advocacy.</p><p>&quot;Ausome&quot; moms are celebrated as mothers of children living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social, communication and behavioral challenges.</p><p>For them, their &quot;ausome&quot; children are the driving forces why they keep going, and the reasons why they have come to understand what it truly means to be a mother—a purpose they share with a wider community.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Mama Elou, Ry</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>For &quot;ausome&quot; mom Mary Louise Zamora, better known in social media as Mama Elou and AUsome Ry, motherhood means never giving up, clinging to Dory’s iconic mantra in the movie &quot;Finding Nemo&quot;—&quot;just keep swimming.&quot;</p><p>“Tutulala, iyak lang, pero never give up kasi mayroong isang bata sa iyo na umaasa—na wala siyang kamuwangan sa mundo, wala siyang kasalanan, hindi niya ginusto maging ganun,” Zamora told ABS-CBN News.</p><p>Her son, Ry, was diagnosed in 2020 with Level 3 autism with global developmental delay—the most demanding classification in the spectrum.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2025/4/11/ano-ang-mga-sintomas-ng-autism-at-bakit-hindi-pa-rin-tukoy-ang-sanhi-nito-1527">Ano ang mga sintomas ng autism at bakit hindi pa rin tukoy ang sanhi nito?</a></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174693541603620250511 (6).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><em>Photo courtesy of Elou Zamora</em></span></span></span></div><p>Zamora recalled how their world fell apart when they first learned about Ry’s diagnosis. At that time, she was also battling with a chronic medical condition, which added more weight to her emotional burden as a mother.</p><p>“Parang [ang prayer ko] ‘pagalingin Mo ako’ kasi Ry needs me more,” Zamora said, recounting how she bargained to God to heal her and give her at least five more years to stay by Ry’s side.</p><p>Zamora moved forward with faith and resilience, and was able to overcome her own battles, which she deems as a miracle and a blessing for her to have more time to nurture his son.</p><p>She also shared how Ry changed her perspective as a mother, allowing her to continue fighting, keep her faith, and do the things she thought she cannot do. </p><p>Among these is entering the world of content creation, where they share their adventure in conquering autism.</p><p>“Parang nilabas ni Ry yung mga sa tingin kong hindi ko magagawa noon. ‘Yung akala kong hindi ko kaya, kaya ko pala. [...] I dream bigger, I want to achieve more,” Zamora said.</p><p>“‘Nung dumating si Ry, parang mas lumakas ‘yung loob ko, na ‘no one will speak for him,’ so ako ‘yun—that&#x27;s how he changed me,” she added.</p><p>Zamora initially used her platform—which now has 73,000 followers—as an outlet to “divert [her] overthinking mind.” It eventually turned into an avenue of a bigger purpose: to educate the public about autism and support those who might be in their similar situation.</p><p>As she saw and experienced firsthand the struggles of being an &quot;ausome&quot; mom, Zamora shares educational content online to help parents and other people understand autism better. This includes sharing medical knowledge about the condition, insights from their therapy sessions, and even practical tips and advice.</p><p>“Ito siguro ‘yung purpose ko, purpose namin ni Ry, kung bakit kami in this situation—to reach people who are lonely din, nagkakaroon ng anxiety tulad ko, namin, from time to time. Na malaman ‘hindi lang pala ako ‘yun, hindi lang pala kami ‘yung may ganoong struggle,’” she said.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:633px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1746931196685Jaze Merin.jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><em>Photo from Jaze Merin on Facebook</em></span></span></span></div><div><strong>Mommy Macy, Jaze Merin</strong></div><p>Macy Villapaña Naguit, the &quot;ausome&quot; mom behind the social media handle named after her daughter, Jaze Merin, also found content creation as a platform to share their journey and raise awareness.</p><p>Naguit began sharing their endeavors as a content creator when Jaze was born prematurely in 2020—out of the struggle in finding a community where she can learn more about premature babies to help her as a first-time mom.</p><p>Their content later expanded to include their autism journey in 2023, the time when Jaze was diagnosed with Level 1 ASD. Through her platform, which currently has roughly 4 million combined followers, Naguit aims not just to raise awareness, but to help fellow &quot;ausome&quot; parents in the community. </p><p>“Na-inspire kaming i-share siya lalo kasi nga, kung nahihirapan akong maghanap ng community [for preemie moms], mas nahirapan akong maghanap ng kakilala na mayroong anak na may autism,” Naguit said.</p><p>Moreover, Naguit also saw the financial struggle that comes with autism, from therapies, specialized education, and medical needs, hence they use content creation in sharing knowledge they learn from doctors and therapists to fellow &quot;ausome&quot; moms.</p><p>“Madaming bata ang may case ng ganito pero hindi nila kayang ipa-check up, hindi nila kayang ipa-assess, hindi nila kayang ipa-therapy. So, doon kami nagsimula ni Daddy Tanu na i-share kasi nga parang makatulong din sa ibang tao,” she said.</p><p>For Naguit, navigating life with autism is a different kind of motherhood, describing it as challenging, yet sustained by unconditional love.</p><p>“Ang pagiging nanay, hindi siya madali, wala kang tamang manual. [...] Pero ang pagkakaroon ng anak na may special needs, hindi lang sayo siya nagtatapos. Sabi nga nila it takes one village to raise a batang may special needs,” she said.</p><p>Despite the struggles, she shared how Jaze becomes an instrument to be the better version of herself and how her improvements keeps her going.</p><p>“Kasi nung wala pa akong anak, ayokong naghihintay, sobrang iksi ng pasensya ko. Ngayon, napakahaba na ng pasensya ko dahil sa kanya. So parang mas naging better ako na nanay. [...] Kahit na sobrang nakakawala ng pasensya yung mga minsan na moment namin, pilit ko pa rin pinapahaba,” Naguit said.</p><p>She continued, “Kaya ginagawa ko lahat, hindi ko sinusukuan, kasi nanay ako kaya hindi ako pwedeng sumuko.”</p><p>Zamora and Naguit hope nothing but the best for their &quot;ausome&quot; children, expressing that their only dream for them is more than material things—for them to live a normal and independent life.</p><p>For them, their child’s progress—no matter how small it may seem to others—is already a big achievement, whether it is something as simple as responding to their name, socializing with other children, or saying a single word or phrase like “Mama.” Such milestones reflect progress earned through love, patience, and resilience. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2025/4/23/solve-cause-of-autism-by-september-us-official-backs-off-promise-1056">Solve cause of autism by September? US official backs off promise</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Raising awareness</strong></div><p>As these two moms navigate their &quot;ausome&quot; motherhood journey, two things stood out for them: first, autism is still not widely understood in society and second, such a condition indeed takes a toll in many aspects, whether it be physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially.</p><p>Such realizations opened their eyes to an even bigger purpose, and pushed them more to bravely use their voices and platforms in making autism seen and understood—not just for their children, but for other &quot;ausome&quot; kids and parents as well.</p><p>“At least, yung mga tao, ‘pag nakita nila yung mga videos ko, diba, ‘Ah, may ganon pala talagang mga bata.’ So, ‘pag nakakita sila, syempre, hindi na masama yung tingin nila, ganon,” Zamora said, hoping that her videos will serve as an awareness to stop calling &quot;ausome&quot; kids as weird or crazy.</p><p>Naguit added, “Doon ko ginagamit yung platform namin na para kapag may nakita silang bata na umiiyak sa mall, hindi ibig sabihin na umiiyak yung isang bata, spoiled siya. Minsan, may mas malalim na dahilan.”</p><p>These two &quot;ausome&quot; moms only hope one thing: for society to be more open and accepting towards autism.</p><p>Zamora also advised fellow &quot;ausome&quot; parents to not compare and just always take things in their journey “one day at a time.”</p><p>“Kahit anong mangyari ‘wag natin silang sukuan kasi wala namang ibang taong tutulong sa kanila kundi tayong mga magulang nila... Hindi sila mananatiling ganyan, tayo ang makakatulong sa kanila,” Naguit said. </p><div><iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_WaS9awGK1c" title="Alamin ang mga dapat malaman tungkol sa Autism | HAPINAY (18 Jan 2023)" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>With unwavering love and resilience, some moms are taking to social media their journey in navigating the world of autism—reshaping the narrative of motherhood, while turning experiences into advocacy.</p>

With unwavering love and resilience, some moms are taking to social media their journey in navigating the world of autism—reshaping the narrative of motherhood, while turning experiences into advocacy.

Content creator moms share how ‘ausome’ kids redefined motherhood | ABS-CBN

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Content creator moms share how ‘ausome’ kids redefined motherhood

Content creator moms share how ‘ausome’ kids redefined motherhood

ABS-CBN News Intern,

Niñajane Ponpon

Published May 11, 2025 01:32 PM PHT

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