While pregnancy and childbirth can be extremely difficult experiences to undergo and handle as a parent, the hardest part about having children is raising them.
Not only are you constantly saddled with the responsibility and worry about whether you are raising your child right, but you also have to worry about how they will fit into society at large.
Even more so is when your child has special needs.
Small schools can be a hit or miss in this department.
Thankfully for Angie Sloan, the student body in Wayne Community Schools in Iowa happens to be a supportive one.
It also happens to be incredibly small – the entirety of seventh to 12th grades has a grand total of only slightly over 200 students.
When Sloan’s daughter, Chelsea, was to enter junior high, she was naturally anxious and worried.
Her daughter has Down syndrome, which can make her a prime target for being outcasted and bullied in such a small, close-knit school.
Luckily, her fears were entirely unfounded.
Chelsea soon gathered a big group of classmates that not only looked out for her but also became her friends.
This resulted in what is a very exciting event for Chelsea once she became a senior – she was named to be her high school’s homecoming court.
The girl was ecstatic and could not stop beaming. It was obviously a big deal for her – her mother recalls how when Chelsea found out about the announcement, she started counting down the days.
On top of that, she told everyone she met about the source of her excitement.
This was special to Sloan, as her daughter normally doesn’t get hyped up about these sort of events.
Mother and daughter would then prep for prom, going dress shopping and getting Chelsea’s hair and nails done.
The girl even decided to do a little make-up.
All this was a wonderful thing for Sloan, who was glad her daughter could partake in an experience that was otherwise taken for granted by other people.
The best, however, was saved for last.
Chelsea watched happily as her classmate Katie Gassman was crowned queen during the homecoming king and queen coronation.
She and the rest of the school, however, were in for a pleasant surprise.
After the crowns were presented, the emcee announced over the loudspeaker that Gassman had handed her a beforehand letter to be read at this point in the ceremony.
The heartfelt letter started out as a Gassman saying how honored she was to be queen and then took a sudden turn when it mentioned that there was something special she wanted to do.
She declared that she wanted to share her crown with Chelsea, who she described as “the girl who always has a smile on her face and has overcome so many hardships.”
To Chelsea’s utter surprise, Grassman then walked over to her, removed the crown, and placed it on the girl’s head.
It left Chelsea completely stunned, mouth agape.
She was then lead by Gassman over to the homecoming king to join her in position as one of the homecoming queens.
https://youtu.be/K8Ul5X_8oEw
Truly, this was such a wonderful thing to see!