Casey Cares knows that little moments can turn into lasting memories for a critically ill child. Thanks to the generosity of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (CTC), Grant, diagnosed with severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD), and his family visited a special performance of Princess & Frog. BPD involves abnormal development of the lungs, and in the most severe cases the lungs are scarred and inflamed.

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati is mindful of the challenges that critically ill children have.

The preview was a thoughtful gift for Casey Cares families, like Grant's, who can accept the tickets and see an incredible performance in a low-stress environment. Thus, the Casey Cares families sat separately from the rest of the crowd at the orchestra level instead of the balcony in case they needed to quickly leave for an emergency.

The two-year-old and his family saw Princess & Frog, adapted from Croaker – The Frog Prince Musical which is based on The Frog Prince fairy tale.

Having been in Casey Cares programs since 2021, the family was excited for another family event. Grant attended the theatre showing with his mother, grandfather, and his two sisters. Emily, Grant's mother said, “While we were there, he learned how to clap for the first time! He was as proud of himself as we were of him.”

Emily continued, “We have a large family and it's hard to get out even without Grant's complex needs. When we do and can't take him it just isn't the same.  This was so accommodating, and we not only enjoyed it but needed it.  Grant just was released from a 6-week hospital stay. It was a scary one where we almost lost him. This was a therapeutic outing in more ways than one.”

Kim Kern, TCT’s Managing Director and CEO, stated, “Providing access to theatre for all children of varied backgrounds, life circumstances, and abilities is at the core of our mission.  Stories such as Grant’s that demonstrate the impact we have on the lives of these children, with and through theatre, is truly the reason we exist.”

Thank you again to The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati for giving little moments and lasting memories to critically ill children and their families! Casey Cares always appreciates in-kind donations of tickets to fun events for the kids in our programs! Please email them to Summer at Summer@CaseyCaresFoundation.org.

Read more about Grant and his big night here!