" Over the years, we’ ve received thousands of emails, letters, and text messages telling us why this night is so special."
Three simple words on a vinyl bumper sticker forever changed the way I saw not just people with special needs but every human being ever created.
In 2021, our foundation marked the seventh Night to Shine( NTS) event, a worldwide celebration for individuals with special needs. A bit of history to frame things. Each NTS welcomes guests with all kinds of special( physical and neurological) needs. Some have Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or autism, while others live with chronic illnesses like cystic fibrosis or epilepsy. Severe impairments such as spinal deformities, cleft palates, and craniofacial differences are also common. There are no limits at NTS— everyone with special needs and disabilities is welcome.
In Western society, people with special needs are often ignored or hidden from the world; in other countries, they face harsher realities. Considered cursed by evil spirits or seen as bad luck, many babies with special needs are abandoned in rivers or left for dead in dumpsters. Yes, this actually happens, and more often than you think.
We at the foundation are doing everything to fight against these atrocious realities and at NTS do our best to treat our guests like the VIPs they are. When a parent sees their son or daughter cherished and celebrated for the first time, something shifts in their heart. We’ ve seen that same shift happen in church leaders and even government officials, changing how entire communities perceive people with disabilities.
Annually, on the Friday before Valentine’ s Day, thousands of volunteers from local churches and communities in more than sixty countries line a red carpet, cheering as loud as they can for each guest who steps onto it. The itinerary of every NTS is adapted to fit each culture and context but whether in Guatemala City, Manila, or Charlotte, the vibe stays the same— God’ s love is lavished on every guest.
Aside from cheering their arrival on a red carpet, what happens toward the end of the evening is one of my favorite parts. In a special crowning ceremony, volunteers place a tiara or crown on the head of each guest, making them king or queen of NTS.
" Over the years, we’ ve received thousands of emails, letters, and text messages telling us why this night is so special."
I believe NTS is a mere glimpse of the worth and love God lavishes on each one of our guests. Following each event, I always hear the words from a mother who was at our very first event:“ My daughter will never get married or have children, but tonight she will feel like a princess.” This simultaneously heart-wrenching and hopeful phrase continually inspires me and the team to make each NTS better than the last.
Over the years, we’ ve received thousands of emails, letters, and text messages telling us why this night is so special. One church in Ukraine told us about a little boy whose alcoholic father had hung him by a hook on a wall. Suffering spine and nerve damage, he has trouble walking and controlling his body movements. The victim of constant bullying, this boy had a different experience at NTS.“ For Egor to walk out on the
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