Celebrating Independence and Achievement!

Throughout the month of July, we along with others around the nation celebrated the nation’s independence but here at GiGi’s, we are always celebrating independence. The independence of our participants! Many of our programs are specifically designed to foster independence. We often get to witness the growth of that independence within the walls of the Playhouse but recently we were able to witness amazing independence and personal achievements not only outside of our walls but on a stage in front of hundreds of people.

Gavin is one of our teenage friends. He has been participating in programs here at GiGi’s since we opened our doors in 2011. His family has been part of many aspects of the Playhouse including serving on the board and various committees. We have seen Gavin overcome many challenges and grow into the wonderful young man that he is.

Gavin loves to perform. He loves to have a microphone in his hands. He loves to entertain. Over the past couple of years, he has been participating in local children’s theatre performances. This month, he was part of a production at Music Guild in Moline, IL. This is not a children’s theatre. He was part of a full-blown production with other children, teens, and adults. The Wizard of Oz is a favorite of many, and this production did not let anyone down. In fact, we believe it was inspiring for everyone that saw it.

What makes this even more special is that his dad was also part of the production. Something his dad had always dreamed of happening. Being on stage with his child. That dream came true, and we were all witnesses to not just his dream but inspirational acceptance, inclusion, and independence.

Gavin and his family knew that his friends and supporters from GiGi’s would come out to support and boy did they! Several participants, families, board members, and staff attended. Below are quotes from a few people that attended PLUS a heartfelt quote from his dad.

“Seeing Gavin on that stage giving his best of all brought me to tears! He was no longer Gavin he was the character he worked so hard to become which is every actor’s goal. To make it even more impressive he wasn’t just one character but several and he did them all well!! When he came out and hugged the Tin Man (his dad), I literally gasped trying to not sob because I knew how much this experience meant to his dad, AND seeing the love and pride from both of them was simply overwhelming. I am glad I attended the last performance because if I had gone the first night, I would have wanted to attend every performance!!”

Pam Lynch, Site Director

“It was amazing to see my friend Gavin in his element up on that stage! He did not miss a beat in every role he played. I’m so proud of him and times like this just help confirm that hard work and determination can take you far. I think Gavin has found his niche in acting!”

Kathy Kuhnen, Board Member, Literacy Coordinator, and Tutor

“Gavin and I spent part of last summer reading scripts while working on speech skills. Gavin was happy to use a script from a show that his dad had just finished. Gavin would share stories about his dad’s theater experiences. When I heard they were both cast in The Wizard of Oz, I got goosebumps and may have squealed with excitement.

Two scenes in the production stand out for me. One, when Gavin-Oz Citizen greeted Tin Man with hugs and kisses, was the moment I got teary-eyed. However, the moment Gavin the munchkin crawled out from under a plant was a moment of sheer joy knowing that he was living his (and dad’s) dream. Performing together. I am so happy for the whole family and awestruck and how amazing father and son were and how the Music Guild family welcomed Gavin with open arms. There’s no place like a theater home.”

Ann Cobb, Program Coordinator and Speech Pathologist

Now, grab your Kleenex, because Gavin’s dad Nathan is not just a performer but also has a way with words!

“When my incredible wife told me she was pregnant my dreams for this little person took flight. What amazing things would we be able to do with them? Would they be a great swimmer and incredibly smart like their mother? Would they love sports, music, and theater like their dad? I dreamt of coaching when they started to play sports. Then there was this other dream… how cool would it be to do a show with them when they were old enough?

Several months later, in a doctor’s office, it felt like those dreams were shattered. That was when we were told that the little boy, we hadn’t met yet most likely had Down syndrome, and that we needed to manage our expectations for him.

To this day, I’m still ashamed of the tears and negative thoughts that I experienced that day. For a few fleeting moments, I let someone make me think that my son was something other than perfect. I let them make me think there were things that he couldn’t do. The thing that made those negative thoughts easier to take hold was that I hadn’t actually met Gavin yet.

Fast forward a few years, and a few life experiences, and I started to notice a trend… If I ever wanted to be proven wrong about something, all I had to do was doubt him.

Gavin deserves most of the credit for his accomplishments. He works hard, and he does a lot of amazing things. But over the years, we’ve also had a lot of amazing help. The therapists he has worked with, the staff and administrators at his schools, and all of the staff, tutors, and our friends from GiGi’s Playhouse Quad Cities have been a constant source of help and motivation over the years for Gavin to always give his “Best of All”. Though the most important part has been his/ our fantastic family and friends. They have supported him every step of the way, and he wouldn’t be the amazing kid he is without their kindness and acceptance.

Acceptance. What a powerful action that is. The power comes from it being something that you can’t fake. Sure, you can say you are accepting, but if you really aren’t, the truth always comes to the surface.

My experience with my friends in the theater community is that they get what it means to be accepting. Gavin has been lucky to feel accepted at several local theaters in different kids’ productions. Thank you to the staff and casts of the shows he participated in through the Spotlight Theater, Double Threat Studios, and Center for Living Arts. You’ve all allowed him to be himself, do an activity that he loves, and grow his skills as a performer.

So now let’s get back to what I was talking about with those dreams that I thought I had lost…

I thought that getting to do a show with Gavin was an impossible dream. But thanks to the incredible acceptance of Dave Blakey, Deb Shippy, and the rest of the directing staff for The Wizard of Oz at Quad City Music Guild, you made my impossible dream come true. I know that casting him was taking a chance (just like it is with every casting), but I hope that with every moment he was grinning from ear to ear, or kicking as high as he possibly could, you knew that he proved you right. I can’t thank you all enough for the opportunity that you gave our family.

To all of my fellow cast members, thank you for accepting Gavin with open arms. Please know that every single one of you are now his friend for life. As well as I will always remember how absolutely amazingly talented and kind this cast was. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

To all of our friends and family that came to watch the show and support us, thank you! I will never be able to express to you how much it meant to me when you told me how much you enjoyed Gavin’s performance – and truly hearing those comments was more joyous for me than the compliments I heard about myself.”

“A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.”

We will close this blog with a quote from Gavin’s Mom.