Starkville woman inspired to host special needs prom

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Eboney Yates is a busy mother of three – Nicholas, Olivia, and Riley. Her oldest, Riley, has been a fighter since the moment she entered the world.

“She was a 24-weeker,” Yates said. “She was one pound. She stayed in the hospital in Jackson for a total of 11.5 months. She had a trach for about three years. September 18, 2018, I’ll never forget that day. At 2:33 in the morning, I slept with her that night, and I usually don’t sleep with her. She started having a seizure in the middle of the night. Come to find out, her shunt that she has in her brain stopped working, and she ended up having a massive stroke.”

Yates has watched her overcome countless obstacles over the years. That is why she was moved to give her daughter, and many others in the community, the memorable experience most young people have on prom night.

“In was like, ‘what can be done? They need a dance or just something fun to do.’ Everyone would always say that a good idea, but nobody ever did anything,” Yates said. “So, I figured, if they won’t, why can’t I do it? ”

Move over Hollywood, the real stars are here. Any special needs kids within a two-hour radius of Starkville are invited to prom, and the community has been there to help.

Karen Roberson at Kids Therapy Spot has worked with Riley since she was an infant. The staff has been doing what they can to help Yates organize the prom.

“They need to experience these things too,” Roberson said. “They want to experience these things and be around their peers and enjoy socialization, getting dressed up, and music. So many of their lives are very difficult. They experience things in a few years that a lot of people don’t experience in a lifetime.”

Yates is not stopping after the prom.

“There aren’t enough words I can say about how happy I am this is happening,” Yates said. “After it’s all said and done, I’m going to do everything I can to turn this into a non-profit organization so it can happen every year.”

Yates has created an Amazon wishlist for those who would like to help out. The Prom will be on October 5 at the Gathering in Starkville a 5 p.m. Yates said everyone needs to RSVP by September 25.

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