One of the highlights of any high school-aged kid is going to prom. It’s almost a rite of passage for anyone going through the school system. A night to celebrate being a teenager in a world that can oftentimes feel so uninviting.
For teens who are patients at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, being able to participate in this normal social activity seems like an impossibility. The caretakers of the hospital took it upon themselves to make a once-in-a-lifetime dream come true.
Themed “Cloud 9,” this year’s St. Jude’s Teen Formal was an opportunity for the kids to just be kids. Taking place on May 1, at the Domino’s Event Center in Memphis, TN, this prom featured all the hallmarks of a night among the stars.
The cloud-inspired decor included rich reds, oranges, and pinks to give the illusion of sunset. The floor itself was covered in clouds. To top it all off, country singer Megan Moroney — the inspiration behind the event’s theme — surprised partygoers with a personalized video message.
The event coordinators didn’t stop at thematic decorations and special messages from country stars. The teens were escorted to the Domino’s Event Center in a limousine and were given the red-carpet treatment as friends, family, and staff cheered them on.
Presli, a 16-year-old patient diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma, spoke to the real emotional and mental uplift of this evening. “It gives us all a hope to just be normal and to just have an amazing time,” she said.
The prom at St. Jude’s was more than a symbolic gesture. It was a reminder that life does not have to stop with a frightening diagnosis. It does not stop on the hardest days, when the body is fighting to stay strong. Life goes on, and every child in St. Jude’s care deserves to live that life to its absolute fullest. That means being able to experience your senior (or junior) prom. It means getting dressed up, glitzed-out, and taking a limo ride through Memphis’ sprawling midtown.
The Bright Side
St. Jude’s Teen Formal is a story about the boundless power of hope. What’s this story’s bright side? Another one of the attendees, 17-year-old Dalton (currently living with thrombocytopenia), has the most powerful word. “No matter what you’re going through, there’s always a way for you to push through.”
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