No one needs me...
I'm unnecessary now.
Oh my gosh, I feel so weird. I don't know what to do with myself.
Walking in this room before the shows about to begin expecting to hop in
and put out some flyers, but there's actually none. So I'm feeling a little
weird, cuz I just feel like I'm in people's way. So I know the other staff
members have it and they're they're incredible so I'm really proud of
everyone and love what's happening.
You know who's here to cheer you on? This one, Abbi. Me.
Aren't you lucky you have a friends to cheer you on.
Oh my god. See when I did my talent last year,
I was nervous, but when I got on stage I started to smile and I realised
that was smiling makes it completely better and just to have fun that's most
important and to do your absolute best. Okay. Team Gigi Gigi.
Now close. And then push your button.
Come over here, it's ok. We're gonna dance.
and now push your button you can relax
Go. Go for it, go for it, dance okay.
Wildlife conservation means a lot to me and Monarch Butterflies represent transformation.
I'm ready to be the butterfly. - We did your dance.
The reason the order is important for Gigi to introduce herself is she says
why she's a monarch butterfly what it means to her to be a monarch butterfly
we might look at that as something small that we can easily adjust to but for
Gigi it could be difficult when you do things out of order or there's something
that she had been rehearsing over and over and now it's served up differently.
Abby I know it meant a lot to Gigi to have you there giving her support and
cheering her on and making her feel more confident.
- I'm so very grateful I was
able to do though to support your daughter because she's really really
amazing and I love her.
- Oh oh she loves you too. Thank you.
- I know I'm gonna cry.
Honey we love you too I know. Lots of love going on in here right. I know we do.
It's it's so nice to talk to you it's hard not having a circle a lot of people
who understand what it's like to to parent a special-needs child all time
and all brain consuming [yes] we're constantly planning we're some typical
parents are planning for college we're planning the next ten minutes.
That's our day. It's in it's in those chunks of you know 10 to 15 minutes of getting dressed
getting ready. Gigi needs support in all those areas so most parents get to
do that for about three years and then after that they're done and I'm
not done and I'll never be done.
Last night at the at the gala a man asked me
if Abby was busy and I said yes Abby's very busy many looks at me and he's like
and so you're very busy and also, when you have a special-needs
child if they're busy you're busy because you're right there.
Does it feel like it's fast? - It doesn't feel fast but it just goes...
Is your chest hurting? - A little bit.
I'll go see if I can get some water. - If she needs water she can drink out of this one.
Thank you. [Yeah]
Let's breathe in really slowly. Hold your breath.
And breathe out as slow as you can.
Here, does that help just a little bit? [Yeah]. We'll just watch it.
It might be because I'm getting a little too excited.
This pageant has been a little bit more emotional for me than last one I think because she seems;
Last year she seemed like such a little girl and this year she seems like a young woman.
[Wow] and watching her interact with all the other Queens and encouraging them,
[Yeah] and just loving them and just being all in it with them and excited
for them has just really touched me tremendously.
Gigi, break a leg.
If you actually say "good luck," it's bad luck.
I'm hoping I get the elements of the dance right and I don't get distracted by the audience.
I want her to feel successful I want her to feel like she's
met her goals I don't want her to ever be embarrassed because she's so
caught off guard that she wasn't prepared for anything.
You do little rehearsals throughout the day of what the next thing is okay you know when we're,
Gigi volunteers at Brookfield Zoo and when we get out of the car we
talk about you know greeting people that it's important to say welcome to
Brookfield Zoo good morning, good morning. I have to cue her and then she gets into
rhythm but and you know I need to help set her up for that because otherwise
she'll be distracted by all the you know people and you know she'll just go
around hugging everyone and that's you know sweet to be a warm and loving
person but she has so much more than a lot of hugs.
I think as parents of kids with special needs we know what's inside our kids we know what they have to give
and we're willing to do whatever we need to get that out.
Gigi give me a kiss okay.
Hey. Let me see you. Can I get a butterfly hug? You said you're ready not nervous.
Right? You're ready.
You're ready. You're excited right? oh thank you Haley
Okay, okay calm down yeah you're good.
My name is Gigi. I'm going to perform an interpretive dance.
I'm ready to be the butterfly.
I'm so proud of you.
You did so good.
All that hard work, good job.
She's very joyful when she's up there. I mean she' cheers herself on.
Did you hear her? Woo! Yes I love that. I thought that was great.
Are you ready? [Yeah] Let's go.
You excited to be here? [Yeah].
All we're going to do is wave. Take a breath.