Teenagers with Down syndrome were crowned the king and queen of homecoming at Arapahoe High School in Colorado, USA.
As mum Terri Stokes revealed, she was truly touched when she learned that her son, Noah, was voted the Homecoming King.
Noah proudly donned the crown and walked alongside Khrystya Gordon, the Homecoming Queen, who also has Down syndrome.
Following the cheerful coronation, Terri said she feels happy to be a part of an “amazing community” and branded Noah’s high school “warm, loving and inclusive.”
“I had no idea that it was going to come to this,” Terri said in an interview with KDVR, admitting she didn’t expect Noah would be the next Homecoming King.
“It’s just a great community. They’re warm, loving, inclusive. It’s just an amazing community. Ever since Noah’s been in school, every year has gotten better, and this is just the cherry on top.”
As for Noah, he also said he enjoys going to school because of good company and loving classmates. “I was happy, I love it,” he said of becoming the homecoming king.
Following the event, Sheyla Gordon, Khrystya’s mother, also spoke out and shared pictures of her daughter on Facebook. Khrystya is not only a homecoming queen but also a cheerleader at the high school.
The cheerful moment came amid tough times for the school one month after another student tragically ended her life.
“Students, please remind one another how much you love and care about each other,” Natalie Pramenko, the school’s principal, urged the students in a memo following the incident.
“Reach out to your friends and do not hesitate to let an adult (parent, teacher, coach, counselor, etc.) know if you or your friends are struggling.”
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Replaced!