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Mom defends son against offensive internet meme

Posted at 12:05 PM, Feb 08, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-08 12:08:29-05

A Texas mom is fighting back after discovering a mean-spirited meme of her 4-year-old son online.

"It's basically making fun of the way he looks," AliceAnn Meyer of San Antonio told ABC News. "The first time I saw it I just kind of looked at it and said 'It's not even funny.' Someone actually took the time to sit down and [create] it and I don't understand that. I was shocked, for sure."

Meyer, 35, said her son Jameson was diagnosed with Pfeiffer syndrome, also referred to as craniofacial syndrome. The rare genetic disorder impacts growth of the bones in the skull, hands and feet.

"There are three types of Pfeiffer syndrome and it depends on the child itself," she said. "In Jameson's case, he's got type 1, so neurologically he's 100 percent normal. He's delayed in speech and he's got some hearing loss, but his communication is normal. Just expressively, he's delayed."

Despite his disorder, Jameson acts like any typical 4-year-old, Meyer said.

"He's a little prankster," she said. "He's very mischievous. He loves to get a laugh out of people. We hear from his teachers and therapist how much he plays jokes and he's just a super fun kid."

On Jan. 30, Meyer said she was corresponding in a Pfeiffer syndrome Facebook support group when she got wind of a profanity-laced meme that had surfaced of her son.

She believes "Internet trolls" lifted the photo without permission from a 2014 blog she wrote about Jameson titled: "He's Not Scary, He's a Little Boy."

As the meme circulated, Meyer said she reported the incident to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. According to Meyer, the social media sites removed the meme 24 hours later; however, other Internet users have since re-posted the meme.

Twitter said it does not comment on individual accounts.

ABC News has also reached out to Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook and Instagram have not yet responded to ABC News’ request for comment.