Meet Tatum
Tatum is 19 years old and she has Rett Syndrome. In 2024, Tatum graduated from Chatfield Senior High School. Her high school experience was incredibly special, because she was able to participate in a wonderful series of activities, including unified sports and an adaptive prom!
Tania, Tatum’s mom, described an incredible atmosphere as she and her husband watched their daughter play basketball. Tatum’s coach would put her in as the ringer because she had a 100% shot record! Her teammates would place the ball on her lap and push her down the court. When her chair stopped, the ball would roll into the basket on the floor. It was wonderful for Tatum’s parents to hear all of her friends and fans cheering her name!
Chatfield Senior High School also put on an adaptive prom, where the typical students would ask the students with disabilities to the prom. The FACS class would make a yummy dinner for those to who could enjoy. All of the girls would get to go early, to have their hair and makeup done by teachers and mentors. They could get dressed up and have the time of their lives, dancing their hearts out for hours on end!
In Tatum's sophomore year, a young man named Christian asked her to prom, who happened to be friends with Tatum’s older sibling. He danced with Tatum the whole time without stopping, and called her older sibling the next day to say that it was the highlight of his high school career. Not only did Tatum feel like a princess and was doted on the whole time, but she also changed that young man's life for the better. The students were loved so much by so many and accepted for who they are. Tatum’s mom shared that the whole family was on cloud 9 for weeks after the experience!
One challenge that Tatum and her family faced during Tatum’s educational journey was struggling to find a 1:1 para for Tatum in middle school. Tatum’s middle school teacher did not want her to be included in the mainstream classes, which was very frustrating for Tatum, because she loved interacting with her typical peers.
In high school, Tatum lucked out and had a phenomenal 1:1 para who actually had her doctorate in geophysics, but decided her heart wanted to help students with special needs! She was Tatum’s para for almost 3 years, and then Tatum was able to have another amazing 1:1 para who was with her until she graduated. During her high school experience, Tatum had tons of wonderful opportunities to connect with her typical peers.
Throughout her high school career, Tatum was happy and thriving. She enjoyed socializing with her peers and loved participating in all of the fun unified activities that her high school offered. She did drama, Food and Consumer Science (FACS), Gym, Bowling, Basketball, Homecoming, Sports, and Prom.
Tatum has visited the Rett Clinic at Children’s Hospital Colorado multiple times over the past years, and her parents, Tania and Tim, have been actively involved with RMRA for years. Tim is also on the R4R committee, RMRA’s fundraising branch that helps to raise money for the Rett Clinic.
Today, Tatum is attending a transition program at Fletcher Miller School, and has been for the past year and a half. She loves music (except for Taylor Swift), and enjoys spending time with her friends and family.
