Every once in a while, regular individuals perform exceptional acts that restore our confidence in humanity.
This heartfelt Facebook message was shared a few years ago, but it still breaks my heart every time I read it, so why not share it?
It’s about a father who remembers when a girl abruptly visited his office and asked permission to ask his autistic kid to prom.
Children with particular disabilities frequently want the same things as other children their age. Getting a companion for a school dance is a top priority for every 17-year-old, but if no one agrees to join them, it can be a terrible blow to one’s self-esteem.
Going alone can be socially devastating for a teenager; failure to obtain a partner can thus constitute a severe danger to self-confidence.
Some youngsters are hypersensitive and cannot process everything, especially children with exceptional needs, such as autism.
The father in this story, Mike Larson, chose to record what happened as his autistic son, Jon, prepared for his high school prom. He then uploaded the full story on Facebook, where millions shared and liked it. Check it out in the video below!
“Here is my son Jon and his prom date Maddi,” Mike captioned his prom photo post. “He is a junior with autism. Maddi, a senior, came to my office (I teach at their school) about a month ago and asked if Jon’s mother and I would let her accompany him to prom.”
“Maddi had met Jon through a school organization that promotes friendships between special needs kids and typical youngsters,” Mike added.
“He’s a junior, so it’s also his prom,” she explained. “I think he should have the chance to go. I assured her we would be thrilled to have him accompany her.”
Maddi chose to accompany Jon to her senior prom because she wanted him to experience the best night of his life. She performed some research and identified Jon’s favorite color (orange), so she could get an orange dress.
She also scheduled a table for them (along with another couple) at his favorite restaurant, which featured chicken fingers, French fries, and chocolate milk.
Before inviting Jon to the dance, Maddi wanted to check with his father.
Mike Larson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “It was a fairly breathtaking experience for me.”
He praised the article exceeding one million views and his text being disseminated globally in 2019. “Several people have inquired about Jon’s health. He’s fine and content, and he’s still at home.”
Mike also revealed that Maddi is now married and is “embarrassed” by all of the attention – she didn’t think it was anything exceptional. Thank you to everyone who has wished them well.” Mike stated after his post.
Jon’s father envisaged various situations in his thoughts after being diagnosed with autism more than 16 years ago.
“I never imagined it would happen for our family, and not only did it happen, but it occurred in such a wonderful way,” Mike Larson said. “And to have it continue to brighten the lives of others is beyond anything I could have asked for.” It will be one of the nicest memories of our lives.”
I appreciate that there are still good individuals in the world; it gives us all hope.
This young lady is so thoughtful to have asked his parents first. I hope they had a lot of pictures taken of them to remember that memorable day!
