Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and his wife Gwen opened up to People magazine about their “brilliant” 17-year-old son, Gus, who has a non-verbal learning disorder, ADHD and anxiety — all conditions they call his “secret power.”
In a statement released exclusively to PEOPLE on August 7, Tim and Gwen, who were recently tapped by 2024 Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, said they saw signs of Gus' unique qualities from an early age.
“As our youngest son, Gus, grew up, it became increasingly clear that he was different from his classmates,” the couple told People magazine. “He preferred to play video games and spend time alone.”
The statement continued: “As Gus became a teenager, we learned he suffered from anxiety disorders and ADHD as well as a non-verbal learning disorder — conditions that affect millions of Americans.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, nonverbal learning disorders like the one Gus suffers from affect how children absorb and use information, but they can be managed with interventions that help affected people learn in different ways — and “nonverbal” in this case is different from “non-speaking.”
“Like many American families, it took us some time to figure out how to do everything we could to help Gus succeed as he grew up,” the couple say.
“It took time, but we soon discovered that Gus' symptoms weren't a disability, but his secret power,” the Waltzes added.
Tim and Gwen have previously spoken about the obstacles they faced when trying to start a family. Star TribuneTim revealed that Gwen had been undergoing fertility treatments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, for seven years in the hopes of conceiving.
In January 2001, the couple became first-time parents when they welcomed daughter Hope, and in October 2006, son Gus was born.
On social media, Waltz can often be found praising his children's accomplishments, and in October 2023, he commemorated a “proud dad moment” with a photo of Gus passing his driver's test.
Tim and Gwen spoke to People about their son's learning disability, saying that Gus is “intelligent, incredibly sensitive to details that many of us overlook, and best of all, a wonderful son and brother to his siblings.”
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The Waltzes' almost overnight rise to national attention has already put Gus and his sister in front of more cameras and reporters than ever before: Just hours after their father was named the Democratic vice presidential nominee, they were photographed arriving in Philadelphia for his first campaign rally.
“We love Gus,” Tim and Gwen say, “we're so proud of the way he's grown and excited to be with him on this journey.”