ORLANDO, Fla. – A local organization hosted the biggest party Saturday celebrating kids and adults with disabilities.
The “Make ‘m Smile” party is an annual event with Nathanial’s Hope that started as a way to honor and celebrate the organization’s namesake after he passed away at just four years old.
“It all started because of a little boy named Nathaniel, who was our son who went to heaven when he was four and a half,” said Nathanial’s mom, Marie Kuck. “After he left us, we felt like we wanted to – we couldn’t celebrate his life anymore on a birthday, so we decided to create the celebration, to celebrate all kids with disabilities.”
According to the organization’s website, Nathaniel was born with multiple birth anomalies including craniosynostosis. After years of overcoming physical obstacles, Nathaniel passed at just four and a half years old in 2001.
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Kuck said this party was created to make sure all kids feel included.
“We want to create a party that they can be invited to, and we’re trying to bring in the community, trying to bring in inclusion, we’re trying to tear down the barriers between those with and without disabilities,” Kuck said.
Vendors lined the streets surrounding Lake Eola, giving away fun trinkets or books.
Growing Goodness was one of the groups there on Saturday, providing free books made specifically to help children learn how to read.
“We had a 12-year-old autistic child go through this,” said Mr. Goodness with Growing Goodness. “He cried, he said, ‘I can’t believe it, I read my first book.’”
People had the chance to take pictures with their favorite superheroes — and meet some of our very own local superheroes.
Orlando Narvaez was there with his mom Ivy on Saturday. Ivy Narvaez told us her son Orlando was diagnosed with autism. Orlando wants to be a fireman when he grows up and he even got the chance to meet firefighters with the Orlando Fire Department on Saturday.
“They keep me safe,” Orlando said.
Ivy Narvaez said they’ve been coming to this event for years.
“My favorite is that they’re free to just be themselves and they have a lot of fun, there’s a lot of resources , the activities, the shows,” Narvaez said.
To learn more about Nathaniel’s Hope, click here.
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