{"id":91156,"date":"2024-12-20T09:52:49","date_gmt":"2024-12-20T02:52:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/levanews.com\/?p=46172"},"modified":"2024-12-20T09:52:58","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T02:52:58","slug":"dad-celebrates-teen-who-took-his-autistic-son-to-prom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/dad-celebrates-teen-who-took-his-autistic-son-to-prom\/","title":{"rendered":"Dad celebrates teen who took his autistic son to prom"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Every so often, we encounter everyday people whose extraordinary acts restore our faith in humanity. This heartfelt story, originally shared on Facebook years ago, continues to touch hearts whenever it resurfaces\u2014so why not share it again to spread the joy?\n<p>It\u2019s about a father recounting the day a young girl stepped into his office to ask for permission to take his autistic son to prom.\n</p><p>This story centers on Mike Larson and his son, Jon, who has autism. Mike shared what happened when Jon prepared for his high school prom in a Facebook post that has since gone viral, resonating with millions.\n</p><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"alignnone' wp-image-46177 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/echowoven.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2024%5C/12%5C/470231888_882787584010196_6337605608254186148_n.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"909\"' height='\"1212\"' title='\"\"'>\n</p><h3>A Special Invitation\n</h3><p>\u201cThis is my son Jon with his prom date Maddi,\u201d Mike wrote in the caption of a photo he posted. \u201cHe is a junior and he has autism. About a month ago, Maddi, a senior, came to my office (I\u2019m a teacher at their school) and asked if Jon\u2019s mom and I would allow her to take him to prom.\u201d\n</p><p>Mike explained how Maddi had gotten to know Jon through a school club designed to foster friendships between special needs students and their peers. Maddi told him, \u201cHe\u2019s a junior, so it\u2019s his prom too. I just think he should have the chance to go.\u201d Touched by her kindness, Mike told her it would be an honor for Jon to attend with her.\n</p><p>But Maddi didn\u2019t just invite Jon to prom\u2014she wanted to make it an unforgettable night for him. She discovered his favorite color was orange and wore a dress in that shade. She also reserved a table for their group at a restaurant serving Jon\u2019s favorite foods: chicken fingers, French fries, and chocolate milk.\n</p><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"alignnone' wp-image-46179 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/echowoven.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2024%5C/12%5C/hq720-1.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"1272\"' height='\"716\"' title='\"\"'>\n</p><h3>A Moment to Remember\n</h3><p>Before formally asking Jon to the dance, Maddi approached his father to ensure her gesture would be welcomed.\n</p><p>\u201cIt was a breathtaking moment for me,\u201d Mike told the <em>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.\n<p>When Mike shared the prom photo on social media, he did so for three reasons:\n</p><ol>\n<li>To advocate for special needs kids like Jon.\n</li><li>To support groups that promote inclusive friendships.\n</li><li>To remind people, amidst troubling news, that there are wonderful kids like Maddi working to improve others\u2019 lives.\n\n<h3 style='\"text-align:' center>\n<h3>The Impact of a Viral Post\n</h3></h3><p>Originally posted in 2013, Mike\u2019s story gained widespread attention. By 2019, the post had surpassed 1 million shares, and Mike offered updates about Jon and Maddi.\n</p><p>\u201cJon is doing well and is happy, still living at home,\u201d Mike wrote. He also shared that Maddi had since married and sometimes felt embarrassed by the attention. \u201cShe didn\u2019t see this as anything special,\u201d Mike explained. \u201cThanks to all who have wished them well.\u201d\n</p><p>Reflecting on Jon\u2019s autism diagnosis 16 years earlier, Mike admitted he\u2019d once believed his son would never attend a prom. Yet, Maddi\u2019s thoughtfulness allowed Jon to experience this milestone in the most beautiful way.\n</p><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"alignnone' size-full wp-image-46178 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/echowoven.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2024%5C/12%5C/462724867_1805993196811252_5851963890831811527_n.png%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"1920\"' height='\"1080\"' title='\"\"'>\n</p><p>\u201cIt\u2019s something I never thought would happen for our family, and not only did it happen, but it\u2019s happened in such a beautiful way,\u201d Mike said. \u201cTo see it bless the lives of others is beyond anything I ever could have hoped for. It will be one of the nicest memories of our lives.\u201d\n</p><h3>A Story That Inspires Hope\n</h3><p>Stories like this remind us of the goodness that still exists in the world. Maddi\u2019s sweet and considerate gesture of asking Jon\u2019s parents first exemplifies kindness and thoughtfulness.\n</p><p>If this story moved you, consider honoring Mike\u2019s request to share it with your loved ones\u2014it might spread a little more hope to someone who needs it.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"</p><p>Every so often, we encounter everyday people whose extraordinary acts restore our faith in humanity. This heartfelt story, originally shared on Facebook years ago, continues to touch hearts whenever it resurfaces\u2014so why not share it again to spread the joy? It\u2019s about a father recounting the day a young girl stepped into his office to &hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":91157,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[670,1439],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91156"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91156\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91161,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91156\/revisions\/91161"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}</p></li></ol></em></p></strong></em></p>