Every now and again, ordinary people perform extraordinary acts that renew our confidence in humanity.
Why not forward this heartfelt post that was shared on Facebook a few years ago? It makes me cry every time I see it.
It is the story of a father who recalls the time a girl unexpectedly entered his workplace and enquired about his autistic kid.
The desires of special needs children are frequently no different from those of other youngsters their age. Any 17-year-old would prioritize finding a date for the school dance, so it might be a harsh blow to one’s self-confidence if no one agrees to go.
Going alone can be equivalent to social ruin for a teenager; while it may not seem like a huge concern in the larger scheme of things, this can seriously undermine self-confidence.
Children with specific problems, such as autism, maybe even more hypersensitive and lack the abilities necessary to fully absorb everything.
In this tale, the father, Mike Larson, made the decision to record what transpired as his autistic son, Jon, got ready for his high school prom. He then posted the entire account on Facebook, where millions of users have since shared and loved it. Look it up below!
In the caption of his prom photo post, Mike stated, “This is my son Jon with his prom date Maddi.” He has autism and is a junior. Senior Maddi requested if she could take Jon to prom about a month ago when she came to see me in my office (I teach at their school).
“Maddi had met Jon through a school club that fosters friendships between special needs children and typical children,” Mike added. He’s a junior, so it’s also his prom, she said. Simply said, I believe he should have the option to leave. I assured her that having him accompany her would be an honor.
In addition to picking Jon to accompany her to her senior prom, Maddi also wanted him to experience the best night of his life. She performed some research and discovered that Jon’s favorite color was orange, which allowed her to purchase a garment in that hue. She also reserved a table at the eatery that featured his favorite meals, chicken fingers, French fries, and chocolate milk, for their group (which they doubled with another couple).
Maddi wanted to ask his father if it would be fine before inviting Jon to the dance.
Mike Larson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “It was a fairly breathtaking experience for me.
Mike claims he posted the prom picture on social media for three reasons.
- “to show support for organizations that encourage these friendships.”
- “to show support for special kids like Jon.”
- “to remind us all that there are wonderful children like Maddi working to improve the lives of others at a time when we hear about all the terrible things happening.”
The viral prom photo was first shared in 2013, and Mike Larson subsequently provided updates on the couple’s post-prom lives.
He rejoiced in 2019 when the post received 1 million shares and his writing was read all over the world. In addition, he provided an update on everyone’s well-being: “Many have wondered how Jon is doing. He continues to reside at home and is in good health.
Mike said that Maddi, who is now married, occasionally gets “embarrassed” by all the attention because she didn’t view it as anything exceptional. Mike thanked everyone who had well wishes for the couple in his final statement.
When Jon was given his autism diagnosis more than 16 years ago, his father imagined a number of different outcomes. One was that his autistic son would never attend a prom. But Maddi made it possible for Jon to not only attend prom but also have a great night!
“It’s something I never thought would happen for our family, and not only did it happen, but it’s happened in such a beautiful way,” said Mike Larson. And to see it continue to enrich the lives of others is more than I could have ever imagined. It will be among our best lifetime memories.
It gives us all hope to know that there are still kind and caring people in the world. If you enjoy this story as well, please heed the father’s advice and tell your friends and family about it.
This young girl is incredibly kind & thoughtful to ask his parents first. I hope they had lots of pictures taken of them to commemorate that important day!