Valley boy with special needs meets with fashion designer

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - A young Valley boy with special needs meets with a fashion designer from the East Coast that has changed his life forever.

Jaymison Waite is a shy, aspiring fashion designer who has kept his designs and sketches to himself, hiding his talent and creativity from the world. All of that, however, changed when he met fashion designer David Josef.

Now, Jaymison is all smiles and is exuding confidence, showing off some of his latest sketches and designs, and even sharing some of his future plans. That's the new side of Jaymison.

"Jaymison is very guarded about his drawings, and was very private about them," said Janea Waite, Jaymison's mother.

All that changed when Josef visited Jaymison in Gilbert just over a year ago. The meeting was made possible, thanks to a mutual Facebook friend.

"He framed for me a dress, one of his dresses, so he framed it and gave it to me as a Christmas gift, and I gave him a whole slew of sketching utensils and glitter pens, paper and all of that stuff," said Josef.

Jaymison began to come out of his shell. He felt connection with Josef, and it was a side that his parents had never seen before.

"To see him accepted and to start accepting himself and his uniqueness and give all the unique things that he has to give to the world, that is very powerful for a mom," said Janea.

Since then, there has been a change in the aspiring fashion designer. A few months after that special day, the Waite family were invited to Boston for Josef's annual charity event called "Fashion to the Rescue". The design Jaymison gifted to Josef during their first visit was brought to life on the runway.

"One of them wanted my autograph," said Jaymison. "I just write my name. The dots above the "I", I put stars."

Jaymison is now exuding confidence, thanks to the connection he's built with Josef.

"David has been a blessing, like an angel that has been brought into our lives to help stir our lives in a different direction," said Janea.

Jaymison is now taking sewing classes, and will be in sewing camp during the Summer. In a couple of months, Josef is slated to visit Jaymison in the Valley, which Jaymison is excited for.