A night to remember

Differences don't matter at this prom

LESSON PLAN
RELATED SITES

(CNN Newsroom) -- The prom's over, and for most teenagers it's fading about as quickly as a neglected corsage. But for some -- severely ill students who won't let sickness or a disability keep them from doing the Electric Slide -- prom night was an affair to remember.

Each year the Starlight Children's Foundation, in chapters across the United States, makes sure that ill students do not miss out on that high school tradition.

Starlight proms have the usual prom trappings such as corsages, photographers and DJs. The only difference might be that a wheelchair user leads the conga line.

Seni, 18, uses a wheelchair. He has been to four Starlight proms and says his favorite part of the soiree is dancing with girls.

The experience makes him "feel like a man," Seni says.

And at these proms, the students' differences help them blend in with the crowd.

	HOMEWORK HELP
Starlight Foundation Disabilities glossary Autism Hearing impairment Mental retardation 'Full inclusion' Special needs students

"If you were to go to a high school prom, no one would be like you, and you would have to find your friends or just hang out to the side," says Ericka, 15. "Here, you can just go to people and dance and so forth."

The foundation started in 1983 when actress Emma Samms of "General Hospital" fame and film executive Peter Samuelson worked to fulfill the wish of a dying child who wanted to go to Disneyland. Their efforts have since turned into an international organization to help seriously ill children.

Vendors help defray the costs of the prom, which teens ages 15 to 18 can attend for free, said Lisa Smyrl, volunteer coordinator for Starlight's Atlanta chapter.

Prom attendee David and his friend feel at home among their peers

"The DJ discounted his services, and the photographer donated her time. We paid for the development of pictures, and the food, corsages and boutonnieres were all donated," Smyrl said.

Starlight also sends each child home with a favor. This year the favor was a Year 2000 champagne flute with a purple gel candle wedged inside.

Heather, 18, survived two major brain aneurysms that should have killed her. She is home-schooled now and looked forward to the fancy trappings of getting dressed for the prom.

"This is one night [we] can 'act' normal," Heather says, "do what everyone else is doing and don't have to feel left out."

Becky Dowling of Atlanta works with young adults who have developmental disabilities and says she believes such events are good ideas. Dowling is director and founder of Just People, a social and independent living program.

Dowling's clients like being in the mainstream for work, she said, but "when it comes to socializing they like going out with their peers."

"They can be themselves," Dowling said. "They don't feel like they are being looked at funny or laughed at. We all deserve that."