Filipino, 14, with parents’ care, realises his ‘CEO’ aspiration

In a world where some desperately decimate each and one another, comes a story from the United Arab Emirates that bespeaks otherwise.

It begins with a boy who wants to be the “CEO.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Amir Javaid, whose astonishment on the human behaviour-emotions-brain nexus led him to specialise in Psychiatry, said that indeed, he has seen in his over a dozen years of work, “remarkable talents and unique abilities” among the young and once young. Gulf Today reached out to the Burjeel Medical City Abu Dhabi Paediatric Psychiatry Services and Intellectual Disorders director because seven years onwards, after the boy, at age seven, repeatedly stated that he wanted to be the chief executive officer (CEO), is now the brains behind three start-ups, which, had also given birth to a project, that extends assistance to others.

The boy is Tatum Lafuente, born and raised in the UAE. His parents are photojournalist Mosh and Maggie Lafuente, from the Philippines.

Recalled Maggie, whom he stunned of the “CEO”: “At first, I didn’t take him seriously. He was seven. But, he said it every single day.” “Many years” as Dubai residents, there was that time they had to separate. That happened after a usual break back home when Maggie saw it “more clearly. Picture frames have to be perfectly aligned. Toys couldn’t be moved even slightly. His fussiness felt deeper than typical childhood behaviour.”

A trace back farther, Tatum, from age two, had demonstrated jaw-dropping characteristics: the ability to read, complete memorisation of the flag for each country, and the understanding of three-dimensional shapes, apart from being exceptional on paper.

On the other hand, Tatum cried at the tune of the birthday song.

“The real turning point,” took place, during the Philippines break. A sister of Maggie “gently told” her of her observations in their regular Dubai-Manila video calls. That “she noticed certain behaviours.”

But opted to wait for the personal conversation.

“The very next day,” Maggie “searched for a developmental paediatrician,” whose assessment was “suspected ASD.”

Mosh, then at work in the UAE, requested for a “second evaluation” which “confirmed Autism Spectrum Disorder.” Seven years thereafter, grateful are Mosh and Maggie.

Family has been able to navigate the Philippines-UAE cross-over for, according to Mosh, “both shaped us. One gave us foundation. The other continues to give us forward motion.”

“Much of Tatum’s schooling and creative growth happened here. Important was the season in the Philippines, after his diagnosis, which allowed us to focus on early intervention and be surrounded by family support,” said Mosh.

With Mosh as the head and Maggie as the pillar – attuned to God’s grace and guidance – family has embraced that “with autism, even the smallest milestones feel like winning the lottery. A new word. A calm moment. A simple connection.”

“Those moments changed how we measure success,” rejoined Mosh.

Witness to the numerous struggles of families living with ‘Autism Spectrum,” Dr. Javaid, said: “The early developmental years are critical in shaping long-term well-being. Working with children provides a unique opportunity to intervene early and positively influence developmental trajectories.”

Today, Tatum’s “body of work,” covers “over a hundred drawings, sketches, and written phrases over the years.” He is the CEO of TatumiGoods, Blueprint (Unfiltered Wisdom), Creative Chaos, and the Tatumi & Friends corporate social responsibility.

“Do animals know that they will become food” is among the eight “blueprints” of this homeschooled. His typical day involves games and music immersions, including piano practices.

Javaid, who espouses for “more advanced scientific research, strong public health strategies, and easy access to the affordable network of dedicated paediatric psychiatrists, psychologists, speech and language and occupational therapists, educators, and behaviour specialists,” said that indeed, people in the ASD, “demonstrate an exceptional ability to reproduce complex scenes from memory or create intricate patterns with remarkable precision” primarily for “storytelling” because they find it arduous to “articulate words.”

For Dubai media personality-entrepreneur Zeena Zalamea, Tatum’s story is “important. It reminds us that talent, ambition, and leadership do not come from one standard form. It shows how the UAE is inspiring; because its support to entrepreneurship, sends out a strong message of inclusion.”