When Her School Canceled Prom, This Girl Held One At Home And Took Her Brother As Her Date
(CNN) -- A North Carolina senior who missed out on prom because of coronavirus fears wasn't about to let a pandemic stop the party, so she brought it home instead.
Rachel Harwood, 17, threw her own prom at her family home in Candler -- and took the one person she always wanted to be her date: her little brother, Jake.
The 15-year-old, who has Down Syndrome, loves to dress up and dance. And, like his idol Michael Jackson, he's got some smooth moves.
"He brings all of the energy to any situation," Rachel told CNN. "I always say this, but Jake is the life of the party no matter what. I just thought he'd love to do that."
Rachel said she decided to throw her own prom after reading friends' posts on social media expressing disappointment in their school's decision to cancel the event. Many had already bought beautiful dresses and now had no prom to wear them to.
Still, Rachel was committed to making her prom a night to remember -- and that's exactly what she did.
The teen, who documented the event on her YouTube channel, put on a dress, did her makeup and even helped Jake into a tuxedo. Then they went outside to take photos, like most prom dates do, and even FaceTimed family members who couldn't be there due to social distancing measures.
Afterwards, the couple headed inside for some karaoke and dancing. And, as expected, Jake busted out some awesome moves.
"It was exciting," Jake told CNN. "Prom is my favorite because I get to dance."
Of course, the siblings also enjoyed dinner and cake.
"The experience overall was so positive," Rachel said. "I don't feel like it would've been the same if we did go to normal prom."
Her goal, she said, was to create a great memory amid all the uncertainty of the pandemic. She also wanted to show her followers on YouTube that positive things can still be done.
Since posting the video on April 22, Rachel said the feedback has been "insane," with many people sharing how touched they are by her positive attitude and love for her brother.
And although it was very much different from the prom she always imagined, Rachel said she wouldn't change a thing.
The-CNN-Wire
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