When a veteran learned his friend’s teenage daughter with Down syndrome didn’t have a date for prom, he drove 400 miles to his hometown and offered to be his date. you.
Emily Wheeler was just six weeks old when doctors told her mother she had Down syndrome. And as she grew up, her mother learned that she was not like other children. She had a learning disability.
Despite her condition, Wheeler learned sign language and used it fluently to communicate with others. She knows how to convey her messages and express her feelings.
When Wheeler turned 18, she had a college prom, but she couldn’t go on a date. At the time, she had no idea her stepfather’s friend Andrew Duffy would be traveling from Berwick-Upon-Tweed to his home in Devon, UK.
Duffy met Wheeler at his mother’s wedding in 2014, and when he found out she didn’t have a prom date in 2016, he knew exactly what to do. He drove to Edinburgh Airport and flew to Bristol, then went to Wheeler’s. He recalled:
“When I heard she didn’t have anyone to take her to prom, I was really mad for her – who wouldn’t want to take her? »
Duffy was a veteran who served in Iraq, leaving him with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He was proud to serve his country but had no idea that being a soldier would leave him with emotional trauma.
He thought going to the ball with her had changed his life.
When he came to Wheeler’s house on June 16, 2016, he gave her flowers and asked her to accompany him to the prom. The teenager donned a pretty blue dress and looked stunning in the makeover her sister gave her for the occasion.
Later that night, Wheeler was voted homecoming queen. Duffy was happy that she went to prom with him, but he later explained that he didn’t go with her to gain popularity.
“I don’t think I would be here today without her. I can honestly say this girl saved my life,” he said. Duffy thought spending time with Wheeler had always had a positive impact on his life. He felt that the girl was taking away all his worries.
Since suffering from PTSD, Duffy often felt anxious and needed help, and spending time with Wheeler helped improve his condition. He thought going to prom with her had changed his life, explaining:
“Being with people like Emily makes you realize that there is life outside of your own problems. »
According to Duffy, the best thing he did in his life was to serve his country. Alongside that, he thought taking Wheeler to prom was another thing he felt extremely proud of.
After spending time with Wheeler, Duffy thought she had somehow “absorbed” the negative energy, which made him feel better. He now believes that people struggling with PTSD or other similar conditions can heal by being with people with Down syndrome.
Wheeler’s mother, Vikki Findlay, felt so good to see Duffy treat her daughter with kindness. She knew that something special about her daughter made everyone fall in love with her.
Findlay added that Wheeler was always happy to see Duffy, and the most amazing part of their relationship is that the teenager didn’t know she was helping the veteran heal.
When netizens learned of Wheeler and Duffy’s story, they couldn’t help but post messages of support.
We wish Wheeler all the best and hope that she and Duffy continue to make each other’s lives better through their unique friendship. What an inspiring story of love and support!
