When beauty salon executive Teresa Jackson realized her daughter with autism wanted to go to the prom, she set out to make the high school tradition a dream come true for a host of girls with disabilities.

Since 2007, Jackson’s group of salons called Spalon have gussied up dozens of girls with special needs in Minnesota and Wisconsin on their way to prom for free. Girls get everything from curled hair to match stars like Taylor Swift to manicured nails and fresh make-up for their special day.

In the process, these girls with special needs also get to be included in the annual right of passage alongside their typically developing peers.

But the gift of beauty is not just a self-esteem booster for the girls who have conditions ranging from brain injuries to cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome. It’s also a way to help out their parents, many of whom already incur significant expenses having a child with a disability, reports the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. To read more click here.

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