It’s prom night at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Center.
The annual event gives kids and teens who faced life-threatening diseases the chance to make memories among other cancer survivors.
“I’ve been cancer free for almost six years,” said Ben Coldwell, who was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma. “And I made just about a full recovery but I had to get a tendon replaced in my arm with a plastic rod.”
Coldwell straightens his older brother’s bow tie before they see their girlfriends, who are their dates for the prom. This is Coldwell’s second year to attend the event. This year he brought along his brother.
Makeup artists and hairstylists spent the day helping the ladies look their best.
"Enjoying normal activities is not always an option for patients who are undergoing cancer care," said Tomika Gamble, program manager of camps and special events at MD Anderson. "We are grateful to our sponsors for making prom such a special event for our patients and families. The event itself and the anticipation of it helps take their minds off treatment, if only for a short time."
Decorations and casino-style tables games made the night extra special for patients and families. Many of the city’s restaurants catered the event; Brennan’s famous pralines were scattered among the table tops.
This is the first MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Center prom for Emma Carroll. A tumor was found in the teenager’s neck in November.
“They did a biopsy and it came back inconclusive,” Carroll said. “So they thought it was follicular cancer.”
Carroll missed a lot of school battling her illness and says she was forced to drop out her junior year. She is now getting her GED.
“I don’t get to go to graduation. I don’t get to go to prom,” Carroll said. “Then they told me about this, so I was like, ‘Yeah, I get to go to prom.’”