ELIZABETHTOWN — Two young ladies are conquering fears through learning new skills and putting themselves out there.
Paitton Isles and Aaliyah Tedder, both with special needs, are working together to get themselves ready for a pageant, but there’s much more to it than just that.
“They are doing the Miss Amazing Pageant,” said Nichole Goguen, Isles’ stepmother. “It’s a beauty pageant for children with intellectual and physical disabilities.”
The event, which was scheduled for mid-March is looking to be rescheduled to sometime in May, she said.
“It’s usually strictly Robeson County,” she said of the event at the Carolina Civic Center in Lumberton. “My daughter, Paitton, just did a long stint in a psychiatric hospital for kids picking on her for her disabilities.”
Her daughter decided to take her month-long visit and turn it into something positive.
“So instead of coming home and moping around, she decided that she was going to do activities, and keep herself busy, and not focus on all the bad things that were happening,” Nichole said.
They reached out, found out that the girls could participate, and it wasn’t long before they were getting fitted for dresses. Hair and makeup are also being provided.
“Her best friend, Aaliyah, originally did not want to do the pageant,” she said. “She is not the girly girl type at all.”
But it didn’t take long for Paitton to tell her friend she was going to do it, and convinced her to join in on the fun.
“Paitton said she was going to do it, and they would both feel nice, and do it together as friends…. Paitton pushes Aaliyah out of her comfort zone,” Nichole added.
Aaliyah doesn’t say much, and really prefers letting her friend do all the talking, but she did say she is looking forward to spending so much more time with her friend.
Jerry Ransom, with Woodmen Life, helped Goguen to get her daughter’s dresses.
“He kind of sponsored her, so to speak,” she said. “He gave us a check, and told us to go get her some dresses.”
Because of that generosity Paitton now has four dresses, which are for different parts of the pageant.
“Also, Alex Munroe at Cape Fear Vineyard, is also sponsoring,” she said. “They have been more than helpful with it. One of the girls that works at the vineyard is doing the girls’ hair and makeup.”
That is Paitton’s incentive. Makeup. She can’t wait to get a chance to wear it.
“I’m a girly girl,” she said with a giggle.
Her dad won’t let her wear makeup yet, but he did break down and let her dye her hair for the pageant.
She was looking forward to the talent portion of the contest, but that had been taken out.
“I was going to be singing in front of 300 people,” Paitton said. “I wanted to finally face my fear of singing. And it may be an even bigger number, we don’t know how many people will show up.”
“Daddy got super emotional when he found out she could join the pageant,” Goguen said. “And Daddy is not a very emotional man.”
Isles and Tedder both have forms of cognitive impairment, among other concerns, but they are choosing to not let it hinder them. For their mom, that’s the biggest prize of all.
“The idea,” she said, “that my daughter is going to out on the stage, and by herself, and talk — that’s phenomenal.”
Aaliyah Tedder (left) and Paitton Isles are engaging in a time of self discovery through a pageant.