‘This Is Me’ fashion show in Flint will honor memory of a special boy

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FLINT, MI – For several years, Flint’s “This Is Me” fashion show has highlighted the beauty of individuality, giving people with special needs a platform to showcase their confidence and personality.

This year’s event will embrace a new direction with a superhero theme, allowing participants to channel their inner strength and creativity.

Capes, masks, and vibrant costumes will transform the runway into a celebration of courage and uniqueness, creating an unforgettable experience for the participants and audience alike.

The superhero theme will mark a significant evolution for the event going into its sixth year, emphasizing empowerment and self-expression in a way that resonated deeply with participants and their families.

At 5 p.m. on Dec. 15 at the Sloan Museum in Flint, 1221 E. Kearsley St., 25 participants will stroll in the fashion show, which has become a yearly tradition organized by Tracy Palmer.

This year will have a different touch, as the fashion show will honor Hunter Mooring, a special needs child who died in a house fire in March this year.

Doing it for Hunter

Olivia Kushuba held back tears remembering her son’s tragic death.

Hunter, 13, died following a March 7 house fire at Creekwood Mobile Home Park in Burton.

Kushuba, 36, and her 11-year-old daughter, Bonnie Mooring, survived the fire.

Kushuba would rather not know how the fire happened.

“I just don’t want to know, it’s still too fresh,” Kushuba said.

The fire started around 10:30 p.m. in the family’s living room.

Kushuba said she thought Hunter was right behind her as they were escaping the home, but he got disoriented because of his medicine.

“He didn’t follow me out and the doors air locked (from the smoke) and I couldn’t get back in,” Kushuba said.

At the This is Me fashion show, Palmer and the crew plan to honor Hunter, who had Tuberous sclerosis.

Bonnie, who has autism and ulcerative colitis, will participate for the first time, dressing as Starfire from the Teen Titans.

“I chose Starfire because she has green powers and she uses her eyes and they are razor green,” Bonnie said. “She is a princess from Tamran and is my favorite superhero.”

Hunter would have gelastic seizures, a rare type of seizure that involves a sudden and uncontrollable burst of laughter or giggling.

But he still did well in school, attending Bendle Middle School, his mother said.

He enjoyed telling knock-knock jokes.

“He liked to make people laugh,” she said. “He was quiet until he hit you with a one-liner. He was known as a big goofball.”

Hunter’s obituary also notes he will be remembered for “crazy dance moves, zombie kisses, his love of video games, pop culture and his excellently curated collection.”

For Kushuba, the loss is a daily struggle, but she finds solace in keeping his memory alive.

The fashion show tribute serves not only as a celebration of Hunter’s life but a reminder of the resilience and love within the special needs community.

“We do a lot of laughing and telling jokes to keep his spirit alive,” she said. “We are remembering every day is precious.”

Raising two special needs children hasn’t been easy for Kushuba.

“It’s trying to pick your battles,” she said. “You’ve got to meet them where they’re at, not where you want them to be and just be flexible. There are days it’s really tough, but they’re my kids and I’d do anything for them.”

Bonnie deeply misses her brother and the bond they shared, but she draws strength from honoring Hunter’s memory.

“I miss him,” Bonnie said.

How it started

In 2018, Palmer was hosting one of her longtime anti-bullying fashion shows when Charise Key-Gray introduced her to an idea.

Key-Gray’s son, Emari Suggs, had a passion for stylish socks and a flair for fashion, which she believed made him a perfect fit for the runway.

“I told Tracy if she ever thought of having a fashion show for special needs because Emari is very excited at her shows,” Key-Gray said. “I wanted to give Emari an opportunity to model his socks.”

Related: Inclusive fashion show is a beautiful thing, says Saginaw mother

Suggs, then 18 and celebrated as the most fashionable student at his school, was also in the crowd that day.

As he watched the models stride down the runway, his face lit up with excitement, a moment that sparked inspiration for what would come next.

Suggs, who has autism, found himself drawn to the world of fashion in a way that resonated with his personality and creativity.

It took Palmer 24 hours to call back Key-Gray.

Her answer was an easy one.

“God told me to do it,” Palmer said. “I wanted to change their lives and they changed mine.”

Inspired by the interaction, Palmer set out to give a platform to individuals who have special needs and a spotlight to do something that they’re more than capable of doing.

Suggs, 25, plans to dress as King T’challa from the Marvel superhero movie Black Panther.

“I chose him because I’m a strong person,” Suggs said.

Suggs is currently attending the Genesee Intermediate School District’s Transition Center in Flint Township. The program allows people to attend until they are 26 years old, preparing them for a career.

The fashion show, as Palmer and Key-Gray said, will give Suggs a chance to feel embraced.

“When he gets out on that runway, he shines like a star,” Key-Gray said. “It gives him a chance to be him without judgment.”

When Suggs was born with autism, Key-Gray found herself overwhelmed with fear and uncertainty.

Questions like “Why me?” and “How will he be if I’m not here?” ran through her mind as she grappled with the unknowns of raising a child with special needs.

Over the years, however, those fears have evolved into a profound appreciation for her son’s unique spirit and talents.

Now, Key-Gray looks back with gratitude, especially for opportunities like Palmer’s fashion show, which has given Suggs a chance to shine.

Each year, the event grows bigger and more impactful, creating a space where participants like Suggs can thrive.

For Key-Gray, it’s a powerful reminder of how far they’ve come and the importance of celebrating every individual’s strengths.

“I’m going to continue to ask everybody to see the able, and not the label and I’m grateful,” Key-Gray said.

‘Coming to protect the city’

A family from Pontiac plans to make the trip over 40 miles on Interstate 75 to participate in the event.

Twin brothers Braylon and Ayden Jackson, 11, will be suiting up as Spider-Man for the upcoming fashion show.

Though the twins are from Pontiac, their focus is on Flint.

“I’m coming to protect the city,” said Braylon with a smile, embodying the superhero spirit.

This will be the first year the Jacksons participate in the fashion show.

Romona Greenlee, Braylon and Ayden’s godmother, started raising them before they were two years old and wants them to interact more with other children.

“I saw it on Facebook and reached out to Tracy,” Greenlee said. “This is amazing.”

The Jacksons have ADHD with sensory issues, such as speech delays and lack of communication. They didn’t start speaking until they were five years old.

Greenlee is originally from Flint and loves the direction of the show.

“We‘re bringing this to Pontiac,” she said. “It‘s coming. Other children need to know they‘re loved and what they’re capable of doing.”

The twins love playing baseball and hope to play professionally one day.

They participate in a lot of mentoring programs and martial arts.

“I know people don‘t have this every day and I’m having fun as a person,” Braylon said.

‘I like to do fashion shows’

Tanisha Davis and her son Jordan Jeffries, 21, will be at the show.

Jeffries, who plans to dress as Harry Potter, suffers from trisomy 8, a rare chromosomal disorder in which a person has an extra copy of chromosome 8 in some or all of their cells.

Typically, humans have two copies of each chromosome (one from each parent), but in trisomy 8, there are three copies of chromosome 8.

Jeffries has a cognitive delay and has to be told what to do repetitively.

“I chose Harry Potter because it’s a good movie,” he said. “I saw it when I was little and it was so good. I like to do fashion shows.”

This is Jeffries’ second time participating in the fashion show, where he will join his cousin Cameron White.

A place to be yourself

Laura Fleming and Chad Fleming signed up their son, Noah Fleming, for the fashion show last year for the first time.

Noah will dress as Optimus Prime from the Transformers.

“I like him because he can transform,” Noah said.

Noah, 8, has autism on the low-end spectrum and battles with seizures.

It wasn’t until he was five years old when the Genesee School District helped discover he had autism following a series of seizures and outbursts.

For Noah, who has an energetic, outgoing personality, the show will be a place he can just be himself.

“Children with autism get overlooked a lot,” Laura Fleming said. “People tell them they’re not good enough and get told no a lot.”