A young Alabama girl, who recovered from a traumatic brain injury, has made her center stage debut – and her classmates helped make her the star of their holiday ballet performance.
Morri Covin, of Mathews, was honored as the show’s star during a heartwarming holiday production of The Nutcracker.
Heartwarming footage showed Morri being led onto the stage in her wheelchair by her friend Raelynn, with both girls sporting huge ear–to–ear smiles.
Morri’s glee is evident as her friend carefully guides her through the dance recital, staying by her side the entire time.
The emotional moment was posted on TikTok by her mother Kylie Macias on December 21 and has more than 4.3million views to date.
‘A huge thank you to [Raelynn] for pushing my sweet girl on stage,’ Macias wrote. ‘That was a big responsibility that she took very seriously. I’m so proud of the both of them.’
The video continued with the dancing girls around Morri, as the youngster bravely rose from her wheelchair to stand on her own two feet.
She received massive applause when she waved to the crowd and walked around the stage, with her smile never disappearing.
Morri Covin, of Mathews, Alabama, was celebrated by her peers as part of a production of The Nutcracker
The young girl was wheeled out on stage by her friend Raelynn. Morri’s mother said: ‘That was a big responsibility that she took very seriously’
Macias, Morri’s mom, called her daughter’s dance partners the ‘sweetest girls’ and said Raelynn was beaming with excitement at getting to push the wheelchair.
‘She and all the girls in Morri’s dance class have made her feel so special,’ Macias wrote in a comment. ‘They love Morri just as much as she loves them.’
Her dance teacher was credited as Ann Peevy from the Brewton Dance Studio.
‘Ms. Ann is precious,’ Macias said. ‘She actually taught my mom, me and my older sister when we were kids. Definitely special having Morri apart [sic] of her class.’
The performance was a real tear–jerker online.
One TikTok user wrote: ‘I know that girl pushing her does not play about her friend!! This made me cry.’
‘See how they didn’t put her right to the side?’ another added. ‘See how they included her in the routine and modified it?’
Morri recovered from a traumatic brain injury suffered in in March 2024, when a tree limb fell on her head outside of her grandparents’ home
Macias, the girl’s mom, said everyone ‘in Morri’s dance class have made her feel so special’
Others admitted that the ‘beautiful’ recital and the inclusion of the young girl had made them ‘sob.’
‘I would have been a mess watching this!’ another user weighed in.
Morri suffered a traumatic brain injury in March 2024 when a tree limb fell on her head outside of her grandparents’ home.
She was knocked unconscious and was not breathing, according to her mother.
The young girl was life–flighted to the hospital, where she underwent emergency brain surgery after suffering several skull fractures.
Due to her injuries, part of Morri’s right frontal lobe was removed. There were two titanium plates placed in her skull to fuse the fractured parts together.
She was temporarily unable to walk following her traumatic injuries, but has since regained some mobility.
After her injuries, Morri still mostly needs a wheelchair to move around, although she can stand by herself for short periods of time
Morri still largely requires her wheelchair to get around, although she is capable of moving by herself for short stretches – as seen in her performance of the Nutcracker.
‘She’s always wanting to get up and go, which is really, really great,’ her mom said in a TikTok video posted in April.
The Nutcracker was also responsible for helping another young girl’s dreams come true during this holiday season.
In Oklahoma, terminally ill Olivia Francis was honored when a local ballet company added a new character for children to perform in her name.
She will now ‘have a permanent part in The Nutcracker,’ her mother Mary said, with the role called Olivia or Oliver depending on who performs it.
Olivia was part of the classical production in 2022 despite living with Friedreich’s ataxia – a rare, progressive neurological condition that impairs movement and sensation of body parts.
The Daily Mail reached out to Macias for further comment.
