AKRON, Ohio — This Saturday at 3 p.m., the public is invited to the Akron Summit County Main Library for a unique recital.
The free event will showcase a group of kids and teens who don’t normally get to be on big stages but are getting a one-of-a-kind experience.
“They really can do anything that they set their mind to like regardless of any diagnosis, regardless of the barrier,” said Itarah Godbolt.
It's not every day that Godbolt said she gets to have a moment of normalcy with her son, LJ, who is autistic and has genetic disorders, among other complex behavioral medical needs.
“We travel an hour away to come here to get some of his care,” said Godbolt.
But within inclusive spaces, Godbolt said, all that changes.
“Just to be able to see so much joy (not) just in him, but like what he brings to other people, it’s like no words,” said Godbolt. “Everything doesn’t matter when we’re all together.”
On Wednesday, a couple of dozen kids and teens with different medical conditions attended a dress rehearsal at Akron Summit County Main Library’s Auditorium to get ready to spread holiday cheer this Saturday.
“I remember being on stage and rehearsing for performances, and now, my kiddo gets a chance to do that,” said Godbolt.
For parents like Christina Junk, she said this experience is what her nine-year-old daughter, Ruby, needs due to challenges with a rare neuro-developmental syndrome.
“She was non-verbal until she was about six years old. She’s come out her shell a whole lot more, and even now, it’s exciting to see her from the spring concert (until) now,” said Junk.
Alongside Ruby and some other performers, a handful of volunteers and therapists involved with Akron Children’s Hospital’s Dance Unlimited Program stood nearby to offer support, so Roxy Hackley said every person felt empowered.
“We tend to see that programs out there out in the community are not quite as adaptive as we would like so it’s definitely wonderful to have this program to be able to incorporate everyone,” said Hackley.
Other community partners who supported this effort included the Ohio Arts Council and Hattie Larlham.
“Doing things that feel normal for us is something that feels so, so good. So the fact that I get to curl her hair and put on eyeshadow and get her dressed up for a recital means more than I can say,” said Junk.
