Thursday, April 19, 2012

prom dream comes true for girl with Down syndrome




from 5 KSDK by Kristen Gosling:


It was quite the prom night for Kentucky high school senior Taryn Mains.
The Mason County High School senior, who has Down syndrome, had her dreams come true when her prince charming escorted her to prom.
As Taryn and her student tutors, who are also her friends, look through photographs from Saturday night, they reminisce about that special night.
Treg Setty, a 6'9" basketball player at Southern Illinois says he'd always had a soft spot for Taryn when he went to Mason County High School.
Last year, when Treg was a senior there, Taryn worked up the courage to ask him to prom.
He said yes, but with Treg in college this year, Taryn got dressed up and figured she'd be going alone.
That would not be the case.
Treg Setty said when he heard Taryn missed him, he had to find a way to be there on prom night.
"I just ran and gave him a hug and he liked that," says Taryn.
"If there's anything I want people to get out of this is to be there for people who need you to be there, and try to be a role model," says Treg.
But Prince Charming wasn't the only surprise of the night.
"She inspires me to be a better person. That's why I wanted to do it for her," says Samantha Kieper, a senior at Mason County High School.
A group of students lobbied hard to get Taryn Mains elected prom queen.
"She's just the sweetest girl," says Mackenzie King. "She's a queen even without the title."
Taryn's King would be Josh Harris, also an athlete who will be playing football for the University of Kentucky in the fall.
"He bent on his knee and gave me a rose," says Taryn.
As for happily ever after?
"Anytime she wants me to come back I will," says Josh Harris.
"He will," added Taryn.
One of Taryn Mains' peer tutors, Samantha Keiper, says the experience has inspired her to pursue a career in special education.

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