Miguel Figueroa of Vineland, New Jersey had always connected with his daughter Illiana over their favorite toys, video games, and movies. They loved watching YouTube together, as it provided them a way to interact with each other through their favorite forms of entertainment.
One day Miguel casually suggested that Illiana might have fun creating her own YouTube channel so she could share her toys and stories with the world. Miguel says her response broke his heart, “She said, well, I can’t, because I have autism.” (Read the interview at ABC News)
Miguel wanted Illiana to know that even with her condition, she was capable of pursuing her dreams and inspiring others. He offered to help her launch a toy-centric YouTube channel so she could share her interests with an audience and inspire kids with autism like herself.
Their channel, Toy Quest 101, now has over 100k subscribers, and it features interviews with prominent toy collectors, WWE Superstars, music artists, and more. Many of their fans are kids with autism, just like Illiana. They use their channel to spread autism awareness and share their love of toys with kids all over the world. Check out Miguel and Iliana’s channel, ToyQuest 101!