Where It All Began: A CICU Prom and the Spark Behind KMT Flowers
Sometimes, looking back is how we find our way forward.
Prom has always held a special place in my heart. At my own prom, I didn’t have a small corsage - I had a giant, beautiful bouquet! My date next to me went on to become my husband and the father our our children. Because prom was the beginning of our family’s story, I wanted Kayden’s CICU prom to feel just as magical.
We only found out about the hospital prom the Friday before, but I was determined to simply be grateful and not let anything steal her joy. When we got the news, Wyatt send Kayden a selfie holding a dandelion- her absolute favorite flower - asking “Prom”?
Kayden and I had so much fun visiting the teen center, picking out her dress, making custom jewelry, and receiving her corsage. I’ll always remember when she was allowed to bring her silk corsage up to her CICU room for prom. It was a single white rose - so pure and innocent, standing out so beautifully against her red dress.
While we were so thankful, that moment sparked a dream. The sweet, simply white rose corsage Kayden received was part of an incredible, massive labor of love by donors who make hundreds of them. Their kindness inspired me. But because prom meant so much to me, I wanted Kayden - and kids like her - to have that same magical, over-the-top feeling. Her single rose was sweet, but she deserved all the extra glitter, gems, and sparkle in the world.
Having lived within those hospital walls, I dreamed of building on their beautiful legacy through KMT Flowers - designing modern, over-the-top, mainstream pieces that make these brave teens feel incredibly special. On the big day, her siblings dressed in their fanciest clothes and came to visit us at the hospital. Kayden’s little sisters and I stayed in her room, excitedly watching the prom on the hospital TV while watching her dad and brother escort her down. It’s a memory I will carry in my heart forever.
KMT Flowers stands for Kayden Michele Tanner. Dandelions - wishing flowers - were Kayden’s absolute favorite. While I don’t use them in my designs yet, I hope to make a special dandelion arrangement for her one day. Until then, the love, vigilance, and family effort behind the rush is why I do what I do today. KMT Flowers exists to give these brave kids the most detailed, magical arrangements to brighten their hardest days.
To our community: thank you for letting her memory and our wishes bloom.
