Cruel trolls say our disabled kids should be ‘put down’ because they’ll die young

TikTok trolls are targeting the parents of two children with severe disabilities, telling them to kill their “vegetable” kids to put them out of their misery.

Charlotte Smith, 29, and Tom Harding, 26, have been left shaken by the shocking comments, which they’ve received beneath videos uploaded on the social media platform.

The UK couple’s clips document their lives with their children, Ava-Grace, 4, and Henry, 2, who have both been diagnosed with lissencephaly and microcephaly and are not expected to live beyond 10 years old.

“Because we’re on disability allowance, we’ve had people leave harsh comments such as: ‘Can’t wait to pay for these vegetables for the rest of my life,’ ” Smith said.

“Others have said: ‘They need putting down, no quality of life,’ and it’s hurtful, but we try not to listen to them,” she continued. “A lot of the toxic comments are deleted, but we still don’t understand why people feel the need to do this.”

Microcephaly is characterized by a smaller-than-average head, usually due to an under-developed brain, and affects one in every 10,000 babies, according to experts at the Mayo Clinic.

Lissencephaly, meanwhile, is a rare, gene-linked brain malformation characterized by the absence of normal convolutions in the cerebral cortex, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has reported. Those with the condition have an average life span of 10 years.

Both parents told told NeedToKnow.Online they were left “traumatized” by the diagnoses, which have completely upended their lives.

“Both of us have had to quit work, as even going out with them is a task,” Smith said. “Our social lives are nonexistent, mainly because we’ve always got to be around in case they need to go [to the] hospital quickly — our daily lives are solely focused on the kids.”

The mom explained that the conditions severely restrict both of their children’s movements, with neither of the kids able to hold their heads up or perform basic movements.

As they are unable to sit upright or walk, the tots need constant supervision. Henry additionally suffers from excess saliva, is unable to properly swallow, and constantly risks choking.

“They can’t develop past the state of 3 months old,” Harding stated. “I don’t think they’ll ever walk, talk or interact with anything in their life.”

Smith and Harding receive disability payments and have been assigned health-care workers to help with their daily needs. They’ve also received life-changing help from Newlife, a charity that helps fund new technology for disabled children.

Despite the hardships, the couple relishes the time they spend with Ava-Grace and Henry and were devastated by health scares that had them fearing for their children’s lives.

Recently, Ava-Grace had a serious chest infection that left her hooked up to a ventilator.

“I remember thinking we had lost her, as the sense of helplessness was crushing,” Smith said. “About a week later, she woke up and that gave us a sense of joy.”

“It was the same with Henry, who almost left us after a brain scan,” she continued. “During the scan, his heart rate dropped massively, and the resuscitation team was called in as he went into bradycardia, a seriously slow heartbeat state.”

“Amazingly, the doctors managed to stabilize him, and he recovered quickly. Just when you think you’ve lost your babies, an unreal feeling of relief hits you as they wake up.”

The pair share videos to their 56,000 followers on TikTok in a bid to raise awareness about lissencephaly and microcephaly — and vow the cruel trolls will not deter them.

Despite the likelihood that their children will not live long lives, Smith and Harding say they find joy in the everyday and are relishing each moment.

“We both have an overwhelming fear we don’t have long left with our children … [and] it’s taken a while to get to a level of peace,” Harding declared. “Most parents celebrate when their children walk or talk, but we can celebrate the smaller things like a smile or giggle during play times.”