We often read about the sweetest prom stories, where teens find love, friendship, and more. Yet, I think this one is among my favorites.
At the end-of-term dance, two teenagers with Down syndrome were crowned prom king and queen and were rather thrilled about it.
The 16-year-old sweethearts, Amelie Barker and Dylan Hughes attend Monmouth Comprehensive School in Monmouthshire, Wales.
The couple has known one another since they were toddlers and started dating earlier in 2019.
When they first met, their mothers, Katherina and Victoria, set up '21 Plus' - a charity for parents with kids that have Down syndrome.
The couple attended different primary schools but soon became great friends when they simultaneously joined Monmouth Comprehensive School.
The couple has been spending a lot of time together, with Dylan doing the sweetest things like presenting Amelie with flowers before dates.
Dylan enjoyed rugby and was a member of the GB Down syndrome swimming team. In 2019, he was reported to be training for the European championships in Sardinia that September.
From childhood friendship to prom
The friendship began long before the prom. Amelie and Dylan had known one another since toddlerhood, attended different primary schools and then become close at Monmouth Comprehensive. That history gives the dance its meaning: the photographs celebrate a shared school milestone as well as a relationship. Dylan’s flowers before dates and his sporting interests add the smaller, personal details that make the occasion theirs.
Flowers, friendship and a shared celebration
Being named prom king and queen gave the evening a public moment of recognition. The photographs also mark the end of a school term, with all the anticipation that comes with dressing up and attending a dance together. Amelie and Dylan’s story brings those familiar experiences into view. The memorable details are personal ones: how long they had known each other, the flowers before dates and the excitement of celebrating alongside classmates.
Explore a related story: Sader Issa’s Account of Growing Up With His Father Jad.
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