Every now and then, we witness regular individuals accomplish exceptional things that restore our faith in humanity. This touching post was shared on Facebook a few years ago, but it always makes me smile, so I thought I’d share it with others. In it, a dad describes how a girl showed up in his office out of the blue and requested if she may ask his autistic son a question.
Often, children with special needs only want experiences that are similar to what any other child their age might want. Finding a date for the school dance is every 17-year-old’s primary priority, therefore it may be a terrible blow to their self-esteem if no one wants to go with them.
Even while it might not seem like a major issue in the long run, teens who go alone may suffer social disaster. Therefore, failing to find a partner can cause them to lose confidence. Some youngsters, particularly those with exceptional needs like autism, are extraordinarily sensitive and lack the cognitive abilities to completely understand everything.
The parent in this story, Mike Larson, decided to record his autistic son Jon’s preparations for his high school prom. Since he shared the entire story on Facebook, millions of people have liked and shared it. Take a look below! “This is my son Jon with his prom date Maddi,” Mike wrote as the caption for his prom photo post. He is a junior with autism. About a month ago, Maddi, a senior at the school where I teach, came to my office to ask if she could attend to prom with Jon’s mother and me.
Mike said, “Maddi had met Jon through a school club that promotes friendships between regular kids and kids with special needs.” She explained that it’s also his prom because he’s a junior. I just think that he should be allowed to go. I told her it would be an honor to have him join her.
Maddi decided to accompany Jon to her senior prom because she wanted him to have the best prom night ever. She could buy a clothing in orange since, after some investigation, she found that orange is Jon’s favorite color.
She also booked a table for them (they shared the reservation with another couple) at the restaurant that provided his favorite foods, such as chicken fingers, French fries, and chocolate milk. Update: I’m publishing this post to commemorate its sixth anniversary. Last week, it crossed the one million share mark. I’ve received…
Before inviting Jon to the dance, Maddi wanted to consult his father. “It was a pretty breathtaking moment for me,” Mike Larson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Mike’s prom post According to Mike, there were three reasons he shared the prom photo on social media. 1. “To show support for kids like Jon who have special needs.” 2. “To show solidarity with organizations that cultivate these friendships.”3. “to remind us all that, in the midst of all the terrible things that are occurring, there are wonderful kids like Maddi attempting to make the lives of others better.” Mike Larson updated the public on the couple’s post-prom activities after the widely shared prom photo was first made public in 2013.
In 2019, he was ecstatic when his text was shared globally and the post garnered one million shares. He went on to say that everyone was doing well and that “many have asked how Jon is doing.” He is doing well and still resides at home. Maddi, who is now married, doesn’t think this is a unique experience, Mike added, and she sometimes feels “embarrassed” by all the attention. The message concluded with Mike saying, “Thanks to everyone who has wished them well.”
When Jon was given an autism diagnosis more than 16 years ago, his father had several alternative ideas. One was that his son will never go to prom since he has autism. But in addition to going to prom, Maddi made it feasible for Jon to enjoy a fantastic evening! “I never thought it would happen for our family, and not only did it happen, but it happened in such a beautiful way,” said Mike Larson. And its ability to go on and make other people’s lives better is more than I could have ever dreamed. It will be one of the nicest memories we have ever had.
This was published on Monday, January 19, 2015 by Mike Larson. We all have hope because there are still good and kind individuals in the world, and I sincerely appreciate that. If you like this story as much as the father did, please tell your loved ones about it! The fact that this young lady asked his parents first shows how kind and compassionate she is. To give them a keepsake of that historic day, I hope they had a ton of photos taken of them!
