It was an emotional moment for the Walz family as they watched their patriarch accept the Democratic vice presidential nomination.
Tim Walz’s son Gus shed tears, while daughter Hope made the heart symbol and mouthed ‘love you.’
‘That’s my dad,’ Gus, 17, shouted as he stood up and proudly pointed at his dad on the convention stage.
It was his tearful moment that captured hearts around the country and all over social media. The two kids sat in the front row of the convention with their mom Gwen as their dad made his debut on the national political stage.
Gwen, Gus and Hope Walz watch their dad Tim take the stage
Tim Walz hugs his son, Gus Walz, during the third night of the Democratic National Convention
Tim Walz pictured with his wife Gwen on stage during the convention yesterday
Tim hugging his daughter Hope on stage
Tim, Hope and Gus on stage together
Tim and Gwen leave the stage together
Hope Walz, 23, took photos as her dad spoke. After Walz wrapped his remarks, his family joined him on stage for hugs and waves to the crowd.
Tim, 60, and Gwen Walz, 58, have been public about their struggle with fertility and how they used fertility treatments to conceive their two children.
Walz, the governor of Minnesota, referenced that time in his remarks.
‘This is personal for Gwen and I. If you have never experienced the hell that is infertility, I guarantee you you know somebody who has,” he said.
‘I remember praying each night for a phone call and the in your stomach when the phone would ring and the absolute agony when we heard treatments didn’t work. It took us years but we had access to fertility treatments. When our daughter was born, we named her Hope.’
He added: ‘Hope, Gus, and Gwen, you are my entire world, and I love you.’
His family stood to cheer him.
Gus has a non-verbal learning disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and an anxiety disorder, the Walzes told People magazine earlier this month.
“When our youngest Gus was growing up, it became increasingly clear that he was different from his classmates,” the couple told People. “Gus preferred video games and spending more time by himself.”
“When he was becoming a teenager, we learned that Gus has a non-verbal learning disorder in addition to an anxiety disorder and ADHD, conditions that millions of Americans also have.”
Such non-verbal learning disorders impact how children process and use information, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which further explains that the condition can affect activities that don’t involve words or speech, like problem-solving, visual-spatial tasks and recognizing social cues.
Gus Walz, 17, teared up to see his dad on stage – a moment that broke hearts on social media
Tim and his son Gus share an embrace
“Like so many American families, it took us time to figure out how to make sure we did everything we could to make sure Gus would be set up for success as he was growing up,” the couple told People.
“It took time, but what became so immediately clear to us was that Gus’ condition is not a setback — it’s his secret power.”
Hope Walz, meanwhile, is a frequent presence on her dad’s social media accounts, including a viral video Walz reposted last Thanksgiving in which he tries to convince his daughter to eat some turkey.
‘I’m vegetarian,’ Hope Walz says in the video, pointing out turkey is meat.
‘Not in Minnesota. Minnesota is special,’ Walz replied.
That moment got airplay at the convention on Wednesday. Gwen Walz narrated a video telling the story of their family, including how the couple met when they were both high school teachers.
The Walzes used a treatment known as intrauterine insemination, or IUI. IUI is often attempted before IVF but doesn’t face the same level of political controversy because it doesn’t risk destroying unused embryos that anti-abortion advocates say equate to unborn children.
Tim holds his hand to his heart during the convention
Hope, Gus, Tim and Gwen Walz
Tim and his wife Gwen wave to the crowd
Tim Walz and his wife Gwen share a hug on stage at the Democratic National Convention
Hope and Gus share a hug on stage
Walz spent little time in his speech talking about his time as a politician, which included years in Washington as a member of Congress and his tenure as governor of Minnesota.
Instead he focused on his time as a teacher and coach, even wrapping his speech with a pep talk that harkened back to his coach days.
‘There will be time to sleep when you are dead. We are going to leave it on the field. That is how we will keep moving forward.’
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