BRODEO 2026: A world of fun for some very special children

Published 9:08 am Saturday, January 31, 2026

When people think of angels they usually think of their way of transportation, as in wings, but at BRODEO the angels arrive on school buses and some in wheelchairs.

The fourth annual BRODEO was held Wednesday at the Burton Coliseum thanks to Jimmy and JoAnn Meaux.

JoAnn says BRODEO was started all because God chose to bless her and her husband with their own precious angel, Brody, for 20 years to love and care for on earth.

She said through their son’s eyes they learned about the world of special children and their needs and wants and why they are here on earth.

JoAnn said this year’s BRODEO went great and noticed along with volunteers that this year’s event was calmer than the previous years which is great for kids with special needs.

She explained how most of the time when you have kids with special needs you try to not create a lot of chaos. She also said how upon the kids arrival the volunteers pep them up to be excited about BRODEO but not too much that will cause a child to go into a fit. JoAnn said each and every year she has the best volunteers and that helps BRODEO be a huge success and makes the best day for all the kids who come.

“We had more kids this year and everything ran so smooth, I always get so many compliments on the volunteers, especially the younger kids that help us out with BRODEO especially the FFA, 4–H or the rodeo kids because they’re just so gentle with the kids,” JoAnn Meaux said.

Brody Meaux passed away on May 25, 2019 but before he passed he was loved for 20 years and attended school in Calcasieu Parish for 17 years. At nine months old Brody’s doctor confirmed he was not meeting milestones for his age. That’s when Brody started with physical, occupational and speech therapy and continued with therapies for several years.

Brody learned to walk at three years old and also began attending school at LeBleu Settlement Elementary at the same age in a special education class. JoAnn says although Brody was never able to talk he communicated in his own way and learned many skills through his education and was a whiz on the computer. At five, Brody was brought to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston for a diagnosis of what caused his severe health problems and he was one of the first children in the world who tested positive for MECP2 duplication syndrome.

JoAnn said this was a huge revelation in their family and for the world for children who were not diagnosed. They spent the next 15 years going to Texas Children’s Hospital to see specialists who could treat him.

Brody also had three uncles and a first cousin affected by the same syndrome. At six Brody started school at Moss Bluff Elementary and continued his education there until he was nine and had to stop attending school due to seizures.

Brody’s parents are both involved in rodeo and JoAnn was a teacher for the Calcasieu Parish School Board for several years. Brody’s dad, Jimmy is a Calcasieu Parish County Agent and works for the LSU Ag Center and is also the show manager for the Southwest District Livestock Show and Rodeo that takes place annually in Lake Charles.

With BRODEO JoAnn was able to marry the two worlds of special education and rodeo to create one BRODEO.

“BRODEO is my way of thanking God for the experience I was given with Brody and to give a special needs rodeo experience for several local children with special needs,” Meaux said.

Brody’s mom, JoAnn says something special about BRODEO is all the volunteers interacting and helping with the kids. She sees how it opens the eyes of many who if not for BRODEO may have never interacted with a child with special needs and it gives them a way to see into the world of a person with special needs.

“One of the volunteers told me that when they were with a child the child commented how they had never done this before and it really opens up a lot of hearts to see what these kids are about and this is a good way for them to experience that,” she said.

Special needs children from kindergarten to fifth grade are invited to attend BRODEO each year from Calcasieu, Cameron, Jeff Davis and Beauregard Parish school systems. This year the rodeo accommodated around 318 special education children with over 200 volunteers.

“Whatever the child needs we make it work for them to have a good time, a lot of the kids have never been around anything like this and it really makes it special,” she said.

It’s important that each child gets to experience a day filled with fun events including bucking bull which is a rolling bale of hay moved by cowboys, lassoing the bull game, meeting rodeo queens and clowns, and many more games and events. JoAnn also gets calm ponies and animals at BRODEO for the kids to see, pet and get pictures with.

“It’s like the animals can sense it, I try to get some animals with fluffy hair so the kids can feel it with their hands and really feel the difference in all the textures,” she said.

Each child gets a BRODEO shirt, bandana, cowboy hat and a back number for the day. In their goodie bags JoAnn fills the bag with sensory toys that can be played with at home that she knows is fit for a child with special needs and will bring them joy. BRODEO does not cost the parents a dime and all money is raised through sponsorships and fundraising.

Meaux said if Brody was able to attend BRODEO himself he would have enjoyed seeing all the excitement around him. Brody was nonverbal but his mom said how you could see on his face the excitement when he would enjoy something.

“Not a single one of these children asked for the body that they were given, but they were given this and they just have to deal with it throughout their life and it’s up to us on the outside to show them that they are accepted,” she said.

Meaux is looking forward to the fifth annual BRODEO in 2027. If you would like to help with BRODEO next year or sponsor BRODEO contact JoAnn Meaux at jomeaux@bellsouth.net.