KANSAS CITY, KAN. — Dancing kings and queens with SOAR Special Needs took to the floor Sunday for prom.
“It’s absolutely a blast. Everybody leaves here with a smile on their face, so we have a good time,” said Laura Kozisek, SOAR Parent.
Sliding to the left, right and chachaing away hand in hand, it was a prom to remember for 19-year-old Jackson Kozisek, Laura Kozisek's son, and his friends.
“Food and dancing, it’s the food and dancing,” Jackson Kozisek said.
Fifteen kids ages 5-20 and their families burned up the dance floor at the second annual SOAR Special Needs prom inside the Victory Chrysler Jeep and Dodge dealership.
“We try to make life as real as possible for families with disabilities and do things they never ever get to do,” said Stephen “Doc” Hunsley, executive director and founder of SOAR Special Needs.
Hunsley says he founded SOAR 10 months after his son with special needs passed away, wanting to help other families like his.
“My second son Mark was born with Dravet Syndrome and autism, and he was cured of that 11 years ago when he was born into heaven,” Hunsley said. “A redhead boy opened my eyes to a world of disabilities that I had no idea about. I previously was a pediatrician taking care of patients with special needs, and now we are doing this.”
Sunday was filled with smiles and sparkling gowns lighting up the room. Laura Kozisek says it’s events like this prom that make the days brighter for parents.
“Jackson has a disorder called Tuberous sclerosis, so he had benign tumors on most of his major organs. He’s [also] epileptic, and we have daily challenges,” Laura Kozisek said. “He can’t participate in a lot of the typical kid activities, so SOAR has given us the ability to be included with our friends, and it’s just a great time for everyone. Some nights it’s a break for mom, and some nights it’s a fun night for mom."
Singing their hearts out, families appreciated a sense of normalcy on Sunday.
“It’s an everyday challenge for an individual with special needs and their family, and they can’t go out and do anything," Hunsley said. "For many of these families, they have been trapped in their homes for two years, and for many of these families, we just want to celebrate and allow them a chance to get out in a safe environment."
In all activities SOAR sponsors, the group says it will continue to work with families to make sure loved ones never miss a chance to dance to their own beat.
“Every individual with a disability, they are created with a purpose and for a purpose. They are not a mistake, and they have so much joy and so much to give," Hunsley said. "We just want everyone to experience the blessing that they truly are."
