Cole was born a very unique and special boy. By the time he was 3 years old, our family was beginning to understand how neurodiverse he was and spent many hours working closely with medical professionals and special education teachers to help Cole navigate his world both educationally and emotionally. Different from his peers, he didn’t always fit in…and he faced many challenges that his peers didn’t.

 

An avid Michael Jackson fan, Cole was ecstatic when the school decided to put on the musical, Seussical Jr. When Cole was chosen to be one of the leads in the show (Horton the elephant), we were admittedly nervous. Would this massive endeavor even be possible for him? Despite our concerns, we dove right in, doing everything we could to help Cole feel successful in the role that he was cast.

 

It was a miraculous experience to witness Cole memorize lines and music. He enjoyed rehearsals because he had found friends and a place where he belonged. No one thought he was odd, and no one made fun of him.

 

We cried while listening to him sing the words in “Alone in the Universe”. It was as if he was actually singing about himself, not Horton. Cole might seem different from his peers, but he has magic in him that we can’t always see with our eyes. Because of the arts, our amazing Cole has found happiness, confidence, and a belief in himself that he otherwise was struggling to find!