Four decades back, Miguel Figueroa attempted to push his currently 13-year-old daughter, Illiana, to begin her own YouTube station, like the ones she loved so much.
"She explained she could not do it since she'd autism," Miguel Figueroa told Fox News. "As a parent, it sort of broke my heart as it was the final thing I had been expecting her to say"
Recognizing that, he changed his"man cave" into what could eventually become the Toy Quest101, a YouTube station specializing in reviewing pop culture while at the same time enabling other kids like Illiana Figueroa to realize their goals regardless of what hurdles they might face.
"Our vision is to bring awareness and encourage a culture of approval in which all children with disabilities and special needs could be permitted to do what they put their mind to," that the Youtube station description reads.
Following her shocking reply, Miguel Figueroa instantly prepare the stage for his or her series. He even brought his daughter downstairs and remembered telling her that when it comes out nicely, they're putting this up.
What he did not expect was to find an immediate change in his daughter at that very first installment in 2017.
"Illiana was speaking more, engaging longer, finishing her sentences, attempting to pronounce words," he explained.
In addition, he discovered a"huge shift in her excitement degree and her involvement and her needing to sort of come out of her shell"
Miguel Figueroa and his wife looked at one another and recognized these videos might have the capacity to reveal other kids which may have self-doubt"their disability isn't a roadblock to attaining a dream or desire."
In total, they have over 55 million viewpoints. But more to the point, in this short span span, Illiana Figueroa is now an advocate for children with disabilities, her dad said.
They have parents reaching out from all around the world searching for guidance to help promote their own kids who might have to deal with similar barriers to break from their shells.
"They have children which are possibly non-technical or they have children that are seeking to be on YouTube or trying to do anything else, but they simply need advice or encouragement," Miguel Figueroa explained.
At times the parents hit out only to know they're not alone, he added.
His daughter's sway was made even more evident if the Figueroas traveled into some comic book event in New Jersey soon after their YouTube station kicked away.
Miguel Figueroa remembered running into a small girl and her mother who'd traveled three hours simply to meet the folks behind ToyQuest101.
Miguel Figueroa remembered the girl describing how her daughter sees their series because she has autism and could associate to Illiana Figueroa.
"It gives me goosebumps since no matter how many readers we have, regardless of if we've 55 million viewpoints, if we can impact only 1 individual and even though it had been that little woman, that is what matters the most," Miguel Figueroa explained.
