Like many others in the Lehigh Valley and beyond, Erik and Kelly Weiner followed the New Year’s Eve disappearance of Jayliel Vega Batista and hoped for a good outcome. The 5-year-old Allentown resident with autism was eventually found drowned in the Lehigh Canal. With two daughters, 7-year-old Kendall and 3-year-old Devan, who was born with Down syndrome, the Weiners understood how difficult it must have been for Batista’s family.

Prompted by the tragedy and the fact that one of his daughters is a child with special needs, Weiner decided to pursue establishing a system similar to Amber alerts, one that could not only describe a child but that would provide special instructions and possibly the child’s diagnosis.

On Jan. 4, he set up a petition on change.org.

He noted that if a child has been abducted, there is currently no system similar to Amber alerts, which have a variety of outlets to broadcast, including text messages, social media posts and highway signs.

He says children with special needs tend to be more inclined to wander.

“I want it to encompass all of the special needs community,” said Weiner, who explained that petition results are being transmitted to senators Robert P. Casey and Pat Toomey, as well as Gov. Tom Wolf. He also has communicated his concerns with congressmen Charles W. Dent, R-15th, and Mike Fitzpatrick, R-8th.

Initially, Weiner had hoped for 500 petition signatures, but just two days into starting the petition, over 1,300 individuals had signed in support of his cause.

“I just wanted to talk to somebody at the legislative level,” said Weiner, and he hopes that if they cannot help, they can point him in the direction of somebody who can.

He calls the community’s response to his petition a “wild ride.” Since Devan was born, he has found the community of special needs “vast and wide.”

Weiner said his wife Kelly, who is a teacher, has been very supportive of the initiative.

Weiner and his family live in Quakertown. He has served as co-chair of Bucks County Down Syndrome Interest Group and is the human resource training coordinator at Sands Bethlehem Casino.

“My intent is not to get specific,” he said. “My goal is to help the entire special needs community. I hope something good comes out of it.”

Those interested in supporting Weiner’s petition can go to change.org and type his name into the search box.