For most students, homecoming is a big deal. That’s why a lot of them work hard to prepare for the big event.
Chelsea Sloan, an 18-year-old senior with Down syndrome, was excited after finding out that she’d be attending Corydon School’s homecoming court.
She was so ecstatic that she was counting down the days. She even told everyone about it. Her doctors and therapists knew about it. She even told the receptionists in her clinic.
Chelsea prepared for the big day.
Together with her mom, she went dress shopping. She even got her nails done.
However, something unexpected happened on that day.
Like with most school homecomings, a name was announced to be the queen. It was Katie Gassman who was voted for the title.
To everyone’s surprise, the speaker read a note from her.
Katie gave it to Melanie Halferty, a teacher in the district. On that note, she gave instructions on what to do just in case she was given the title.
The note read:
“I am honored to have been voted as this year’s homecoming queen, but tonight I would like to share my crown with the girl who always has a smile on her face and has overcome so many hardships. And that person is Miss Chelsea Sloan.”
As the note was being read, everyone in the gymnasium watched Katie gracefully walked over to the surprised Chelsea. She placed the tiara on her head before giving her a warm hug.
In an interview with KCCI Des Moines, Katie shared:
“She is always just uplifting everybody, always smiling, coming into the school, hugging everybody. I just believe that’s royalty in my eyes, so I wanted to let her share the experience with me.”
Chelsea was over the moon after hearing what the person on the speaker said.
Even her mom was surprised. What happened was totally unexpected for them.
Angie Sloan, Chelsea’s mom, said:
“We didn’t expect that in the first place, but when Katie gave her crown, Chelsea was just so excited. She said to me, ‘Oh my gosh, mom. I’m queen. I’m queen!”
Katie’s action earned hundreds of positive comments.
In Angie’s Facebook post, someone said:
“May this young lady continue to be blessed! And God bless the homecoming queen that made this young ladies night.”
Another one commented:
“As the mother of a Down Syndrome daughter, that is the most beautiful thing thank you for posting it”
There was also this person who said:
“Such an awesome act of kindness and compassion. This is so very awesome”
Katie’s action may not mean a lot everyone.
However, for Chelsea and her family, it was a big deal. It created a memory the young lady would be able to remember for the rest of her life.
Angie shared:
“It kind of makes you forget about all that bad stuff, and she can just focus on being a normal teen for a while. It’s just such an awesome thing to share with her. It’s life-changing.”
You can watch the moment Katie shares her crown with Chelsea in the video below! Also below that is KCCI’s coverage on the heartwarming story.
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