Our Shining Star! #strength

Here at GiGi’s we LOVE hearing from you. We want to hear you bragging on your kids and shouting their victories from the roof tops! We are so excited to share a big victory for our friend Grace Carroll today. Help us celebrate her.

“Grace has always loved music and dance, and any television program or movie that included it. She adores Disney movies and musicals, such as Annie, Hairspray, and Mary Poppins. Naturally, we couldn’t wait to see her excitement over her first Disney movie on the big screen and her first experience at a live concert or theatre production! We quickly learned that the theatre was not a place Grace would enjoy, as her whole body shook with anxiety, she dropped to the floor, crying “go home!, go home!” and lost control of her bladder. As the years passed, we experienced the same reaction to baseball stadiums, large arenas, school auditoriums, and some restaurants. Being the strong-willed person that I am (aka stubborn), I was determined to find a way for Grace to enjoy the theatre and other similar community events, so I tried having her wear headphones (which she hated and immediately removed). I tried distractions such as popcorn and her Ipad, with no success. We tried arriving early while the lights were still on, but she wasn’t having it! We incorporated a sensory diet into her daily routine in hopes that this would help regulate her sensory system enough that she could someday enjoy the large, dark, loud, room full of people. Nope.
A few years ago, after attending my niece and nephew’s musical with a local children’s theatre company, I wondered if they would allow Grace to participate as a member of the production, even if she wouldn’t perform on stage. They said yes, and I signed her up. She was a wolf in “The Jungle Book” and a fish in “The Little Mermaid”, loving every second of learning the songs and dances, and being a part of a group of children having fun and doing something they love. She stepped out on stage for a moment of “the Jungle Book”, but that was the last of her we saw on stage. We were so proud and happy for her, nonetheless, because she loved being a part of it.
Since January, Grace has been a cast member of Syracuse Children’s Theatre’s production of “High School Musical, Jr.”, one of her all-time favorite musicals, since 2nd grade. She was a skater-girl, and perfected every song-lyric and dance move to the best of her ability. Her wonderful mentor, Ashton, cheered her on at each rehearsal. The night of the show, I knew it was unlikely that we’d see her come out on stage, but I was still excited to see the show, knowing that she would enjoy watching the live feed from backstage as well. The opening scene began, singing and dancing children filled the stage, and out comes Grace beaming with joy, dancing and singing, “Wild-cats-sing- along, Yeah, we really got it going on…!” She continued her stage appearances playing her skater role for the duration of the show, though I’m not sure how well she did, due to my eyes being clouded with flowing tears of joy!! Congratulations to our Super Star, Skater-girl, Grace!! We are so proud of you!!” ~  Mary Carroll, Grace’s proud mom

Thank you Mary for sharing with us and allowing us all to cheer on your beautiful girl! You both are fantastic examples of never giving up and working hard to find a way to reach our goals. #strength

If you have a story you would like to share we want to hear from you, every milestone, reached goal and success is worthy of a cheering section! Send an email to Heather at hrodriguez@gigisplayhouse.org

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