Actor With Cerebral Palsy Attends Tim Tebow’s ‘Night to Shine’ Prom, Calls Athlete His ‘Hero’

Getty Images | Alberto E. Rodriguez

Micah Fowler has made a name for himself in Hollywood as a talented actor with cerebral palsy. However, besides glitzy premieres, Fowler has also been papped on the red carpet for an amazing charitable cause.

In February 2019, Fowler, 21, was invited as a guest to the Tim Tebow Foundation’s 5th Annual Night to Shine prom for young adults with special needs at Zoe Church in Los Angeles. Christian athlete and founder Tim Tebow quickly became Fowler’s personal hero.

The actor later reflected on his experience of Tebow’s prom night. “[Night to Shine] means so much to me and means so much to the disabled community,” he told Fox News.

“The way the volunteers celebrate you and cheer you on when you roll, walk, or crawl down the red carpet is really something special,” Fowler continued. “It feels like home, and safe, like the rest of the world should be.”

Fowler experienced being one of 110,000 celebrated guests at Tebow’s fifth annual event. Every guest, as happens each year, was cheered down the red carpet, treated to a lavish dinner, music, games, and dancing, and eventually crowned king or queen of the prom.

“There are very few dance floors like the one at Night to Shine,” Fowler praised. “[N]one compare!”

Fowler added that he had been inspired by Tebow’s compassion for people. “After meeting him last year, I am sure Tim is one of the greatest human beings that ever lived,” Fowler told Fox News, “and absolutely one of my heroes.”

“Our differences should be celebrated,” Fowler continued, speaking on behalf of the special-needs community, “and this is one night that I know for sure I and my disability will be cherished and celebrated for exactly who I am, and who I was made to be.”

Many fans of Tebow’s charitable work agree with Fowler. Responding to Fowler’s attendance at Night to Shine on Facebook, readers showered the athlete with praise.

“Tim Tebow is like a modern day Mr Rogers,” wrote one fan, “always has a smile and helping others. His compassion and selflessness make him a great role model.”

“I enjoyed watching Tim Tebow play football,” wrote another, “but this may be why he is on this earth.”

Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters and Tim Tebow attend DIRECTV's Super Saturday Night at Atlantic Station in Atlanta, Georgia, on Feb. 2, 2019. ©Getty Images | Robin Marchant

Fowler’s sister, Kelsey, is an actress on Broadway. Fowler made his acting debut in 2013’s “Labor Day,” and according to the Tim Tebow Foundation, it was Kelsey’s agent that first head-hunted Fowler from the audience of ABC talk show “The View.” Kelsey was being interviewed at the time.

On March 5, 2016, Fowler’s 18th birthday, the young actor received the news that he had been cast as J.J. DiMeo, Minnie Driver’s teenage son in the family sitcom “Speechless.”

“He just lit up the screen,” “Speechless” creator Scott Silveri told The Wrap. “He was so effortlessly funny and endearing. He gave us everything we were looking for.”

As per the Tim Tebow Foundation, Fowler uses a wheelchair and is able to walk short distances with the assistance of a walker. He is also able to speak, with some difficulty; not everybody with cerebral palsy retains this faculty.

A 2018 study of 1,100 films made between 2007 and 2017, authored by Professor Stacy L. Smith and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, discovered some alarming statistics.

Not only did fewer than 3 percent of the films’ speaking roles feature disabled characters, but even fewer characters were actually portrayed by actors who had special needs themselves. Fowler is something of a trailblazer.

“We still receive messages and stories of how [Fowler’s] portrayal of J.J. has challenged views and changed the lives of those with and without disabilities around the world for the better,” Fowler’s sister, Kelsey, told Fox News.

“The impact he’s had is immeasurable,” she added, “and he’s only just getting started.”