Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz spoke at the Democrats' convention was the main event. But the evening's perhaps most lasting impression was made by his 17-year-old son Gus Walz.
Gus, who has an intellectual disability, sat in the audience with his sister Hope and mother Gwen. As soon as his father took the stage, tears of joy began to stream down his cheeks.
When Tim Walz vividly told the story of his and his wife's IVF struggle to become parents, his son began to cry uncontrollably. At one point, he clapped his hands and shouted: "That's my dad", cheered on by the nearby audience.
Images of Gus Walz's proud tears quickly went viral and spread through the media and online.
Tim and Gwen Walz recently told about their son's challenges in an interview with People Magazine.
Like for so many American families, it took time for us to understand how we could do everything we could to help Gus succeed in life. It took time, but what we soon understood is that Gus' challenges are not a setback – it's his superpower.
