Greta Thunberg’s father: She is happy and I am worried
Svante Thunberg admitted that he did not support his daughter’s truancy as she protested against ignoring climate change. In an interview with the British media, he also revealed his concerns about the hate directed at his child. However, he emphasizes that since becoming involved in environmental protection, his daughter is doing much better.
The father of a 16-year-old activist told the BBC how his daughter had struggled with depression for “about three or four years.” – She stopped talking… she stopped going to school – he said, emphasizing that the “ultimate nightmare of a parent” was the moment when she refused to eat. He and his wife then decided that they needed to spend more time with both of their daughters. Greta’s mother, an opera singer, gave up her contracts so that the family could stay together.
Greta’s parents sought help from specialists. At the age of 12, Greta was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder – Asperger’s. It is this condition that allows her to look at things unconventionally, outside the box. Svante Thunberg admitted that his daughter started her crusade from her own home, calling her parents hypocrites. On the other hand, he noticed that she had adopted certain patterns from them: following her mother’s example, she stopped traveling by plane and became a vegan like her father.
Svante emphasizes that all his activity over the last year is not motivated by concern for the climate, but by concern for his daughter. He noted that Greta has become “happy” since becoming an activist. He is worried about online hate, especially fake news about his daughter. Above all, he sees that she is handling it “incredibly well.” – I honestly don’t know how she does it, but she laughs most of the time. The hate makes her laugh, he revealed.
