When Jimmy Fallon and the "Today" show put out a call for cute videos of kids saying "mama," they probably didn't expect this one from Minnesota mom Kate Swenson.
Still, her video turned out to be the winner.
The contest originated with the "Tonight Show" host's new book. It's a follow-up to his first children's book, in which he jokingly tries to get every baby's first word to be "dada." After that, Fallon says the word for everything else is "mama," which led to his just-published book, "Everything is Mama."
To celebrate its release, NBC's "Today" show held a contest for parents to send in those cute videos.
The winning video (above) by Swenson and her son, who is autistic and nonverbal, turned out to be much more unconventional than the others, but just as heartwarming.
Swenson filmed her son Cooper, who is almost 7, speaking with a speech device that he uses to communicate.
"I am sure when Fallon's producers created this contest they pictured the winner being a cute little toddler saying the cutest 'mama.' That's what we all think of," Swenson said. "My son is almost 7 and has never said a word. And yet, I know that his voice is just as sweet."
In the video, Swenson explains: "He loves trains. He's smart and he's funny and he's loving, and Cooper is also autistic and nonverbal. I was told at a very young age that I should prepare to never hear Cooper's voice, and that's one of the hardest things I've ever had to expect."
