Miles Ambridge Photo Retake Puts Him In The Front Row

Miles Ambridge’s photo retake put the boy in the front row of his class picture. The original class picture placed Miles off to the side — away from the rest of his second grade classmates.

Miles’ parents were hurt and angry when they received the class portrait.The fact that he was separated from his classmates was bad enough. Even worse, the child was leaning to the side, obviously trying to be part of the group.

Don Ambridge, Miles’ father, states that the photo brought tears to his eyes. As reported by CBC, he has a lot of mixed emotions:

“It’s a mix of humiliation for your little guy and sadness and you know, a little bit of anger. The problem is where do you put that anger?”

Miles suffers from spinal muscular atrophy. SMA is a genetic disease that attacks nerve cells in the spinal cord. As explained by Medicine Plus, as the cells are attacked the arms and legs become weak. As there are many forms of SMA the severity of symptoms may vary. SMA cannot be cured. However, therapy and medication can diminish symptoms.

Don Ambridge explains that Miles’ classmates and school staff have always treated his son with respect. Although he was angry about the photo, he does not think his son’s exclusion was intentionally cruel. He explains the positioning as a “circumstantial lack of awareness that resulted in a really emotionally tragic output.”

Ambridge sent a note to the school, expressing his concerns. As reported by Today.com, the school offered Miles Ambridge a photo retake. Even better, they allowed him to to sit in the front row.

Miles’ parents decided to dispose of the original photo, as they did not want to upset their son. Miles and his parents are very happy with the new photo.

Miles Ambridge’s photo will now be proudly displayed in his family’s home. The company who employs the photographer apologized for the initial slight, explaining that they never intended to hurt anyone.

[Image via NY Daily News]