L.A. Kings Darryl Sutter opens up about his son with Down Syndrome

by Bruce Arthur from The Star:
The email came from a 25-year-old in New York; we’ll call him Brian. He enclosed a picture of his older brother, who we’ll call Henry. Henry is 27, and lives in Chicago. He has Down syndrome. In the picture he is looking off to the side but he is smiling, and Darryl Sutter’s arm is around him. Darryl is smiling, too.

Brian wasn’t looking for a story, and Henry doesn’t want to be famous, so their names have been changed. But Brian had just watched Sutter’s press conferences, with that plain Prairie voice and that unimpressed rubber face and the clipped short answers that are becoming famous. Brian saw people calling Sutter rude, or laughing, as if that was the measure of the man.

He knew it wasn’t, because his father once read an article that mentioned Sutter’s third child, Christopher, who has Down syndrome. The father read the piece aloud with Henry. Henry wrote Sutter a letter. Sutter was the coach of the San Jose Sharks.

Sutter wrote back by hand, on Sharks letterhead. When the Sharks came to Chicago, Brian and Henry and their father were invited to a morning skate, and Darryl met them in the stands. Not everyone knew how to speak to Henry. Darryl did.

“There’s something there between the two of them that there just isn’t with other adults,” says Brian. “Things my brother says, it just brings out the biggest smile on Darryl’s face. I’m a Blues fan, and one time (in 2012) Henry said, ‘Hey, remember when the Kings beat the Blues in the playoffs?’ And Darryl just laughed and laughed. It’s simple, but he understands.”

They exchanged more letters, over time. A letter Sutter wrote is still framed on Henry’s wall in Chicago, along with sticks, jerseys, gear from San Jose and Calgary and L.A. Henry wears a Kings jersey after every win.

“I’d rather just take care of my family in the locker room, and my family at home, and then people that I think should be taken care of,” says Sutter, in a near-empty hallway at Madison Square Garden, between Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup final. “It makes them feel good. And that’s sort of what we’re supposed to do in our lifetime, is make people feel good. So when I get the opportunity to do that, I’ll do that.”

7 Awesome Life Lessons My Son With Down Syndrome Taught Me

by John Simmons from the Huffington Post:
Amy and I had three biological sons when we adopted a 1-month-old little boy with Down syndrome and started taking lessons from him. Jack was fragile. He would require open heart surgery by the time he was 6-months-old.
Jack contracted postoperative pneumonia and it was looking like he might become a part of the 15 percent of children at that time, who didn't make it home after surgeries like his. I still remember his older brothers, aged 6 to 2, standing around that enormous hospital bed looking longingly at a tiny sibling with more wires and tubes than they could count going from his body to the intimidating flashing, beeping and humming medical equipment. Any of us would have done anything to make him well, but there was nothing we could do. As I recalled our five months together, I realized that there were no regrets. That was the first lesson Jack taught me. When death causes a separation between me and anyone I love, I want to have that same feeling. I want to have nothing amiss. If anything has been out of order, I want to have repaired it to the best of my ability.
The next time my son took me to school, he wasn't even in school, yet. Jack didn't walk until he was 3. He potty trained when he was 4. My son didn't progress quickly, but he did progress. If I tried to measure him against his siblings and the rate that they learned, there could only be disappointment. But when we celebrated Jack's accomplishments for what they were to him, and measured them against his own challenges, advancement for him was at least as impressive as it was for any of our other children. I had no idea how important this lesson was until we adopted several more children and eventually learned that some of them suffered from attachment disorders. Jack 101 taught me to allow my children with attachment difficulties the time that they needed to progress. That course also gave me the understanding, that for these children, accomplishments which might have seemed slight to others, could be celebrated by my family as the monuments they truly were.

Williamstown Father to Speak at Advocacy Day in Boston

from iBerkshires.com: 
BOSTON — Williamstown resident Stephen Narey will be a featured speaker at the first MDSC Down Syndrome Advocacy Day at the State House on Tuesday, May 27.

The event is hosted by the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress and aims to encourage lawmakers to support critical policies and funding to ensure that all people with Down syndrome have opportunities to lead meaningful fulfilling lives in the community. At the top of the list is the National Background Check Bill (H.1674), a piece of legislation that would finally close a gaping loophole that puts people with intellectual and developmental disabilities at risk of abuse. Under current law, those hired to work with people with developmental disabilities are required to have a state criminal background check, but not a national check.

Hundreds of members of the Down syndrome community will gather for a luncheon reception followed by individual meetings with their legislators. They will walk the halls to share their stories and lobby our legislators to pass key legislation.

Narey, an attorney, is chairman of the MDSC Board of Directors and father to Cole, who has Down syndrome.

Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo of Winthrop will be given the MDSC’s first “Legislative Champion of the Year Award.” Other invited guests include Senate President Therese Murray, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh (primary sponsor of National Background Check Bill when he was a state rep.), EOHHS Assistant Secretary Rosalie Edes, DDS Commissioner Elin Howe, State Rep. Tom Sannicandro, and others. FOX25 weekend news anchor Heather Hegedus will emcee the event. Registration is free at www.mdsc.kintera.org/advocacyday.

Father of rape victim with Down syndrome speaks out

by Alice Clinton from The Enquirer UK:

The father of a young woman with Down’s Syndrome who was raped last September has spoken about the “devastating” attack on his daughter and his anger over the short sentence given to her rapist. 

This comes after 18-year-old Liam Felton (pictured), was jailed for eight years for the offence on Monday (13 January).

On the evening of Thursday, 12 September 2013 the victim, aged 22, had been at home in the Harold Wood area with her mother and stepfather. 

Earlier that night they had attended an evening held in memory of the victim’s best friend, who had recently died due to heart problems. 

The victim’s father has said she was upset after the evening and had a headache. When her parents were asleep, just before midnight the victim decided to go for a walk and she left the house.  

The victim walked to Station Road and sat on a bench. Felton, who lived nearby and did not previously know the girl, walked past and doubled back to sit on the bench once he noticed her. Felton attempted to engage her in conversation and after around 15 minutes the pair got up and walked for about five minutes. 

Felton then grabbed the victim, forcing her into an alleyway behind some shops before raping her twice and fleeing the scene. 

Father's Beautiful Journey With Son Who Has Down Syndrome Will Make Your Heart Soar

by Ron Dicker from The Huffington Post:
When doctors told Pablo Poncini his son may have Down syndrome, he said he fainted.
"Everything seemed to have gone wrong," he recalls in the short film (above). "It was as if the road we had started as a family had come to an end."
But the father has come a long way since then, and "The 1,000 Miles Of Luca" strives to show bits of Poncini's emotional awakening.
"Little by little, the Down syndrome disappeared and Luca appeared," the father recounts tenderly in the clip.
Poncini, an Argentine ad man, takes viewers on an 8-minute journey of bonding with his boy by using a car rally as a backdrop. Poncini gets to the heart of the matter frankly and eloquently.
"We realized that it wasn't really a problem," he says. "It wasn't a serious problem, nor was it a problem at all. We just had to get used to something different."
According to the Ads of the World description, Poncini's Buenos Aires agency was assigned to create a campaign to promote "the inclusion of people with disabilities."
Luckily for viewers, Poncini took it personally and had the camera turned on him and Luca.

Man with Down Syndrome, father walk over 300 miles for awareness

from KSL.com Utah 5:

SALT LAKE CITY — A 25-year-old man with Down's syndrome and his father laced up their shoes and set out to achieve what they never thought possible — they are walking across the state.

The father and son team have made a goal to walk 300 miles from Washington County to Temple Square.
Dave Allen said it's been a long journey, but every step has been worth it.
"We're walking to Salt Lake, one foot in front of the other," Dave said.
The pair started in St. George and have already walked 297 miles. The route took them through Eureka and Saratoga Springs, among many other Utah cities.

DSR Episode #20: Current Challenges – Ages 2, 4 and 7

In this episode Jason, Mark and Rick each give an update on their child and the current challenges they are facing for their age category.

Dexter, the walking man!

Jason’s Dexter is two years old and is now walking.  What a big milestone walking is! Go Dexter!  Jason has been having trouble finding the right preschool for Dexter.  Unfortunately they have had trouble with schools refusing Dexter based on his disability.  Is that even legal?  The worst one was the school that his older child attends.  That school turned Dex down without even evaluating him.  It seems that Jason and Colette have found a home for Dex now and it is working out, but it did bring them a lot of stress.  So I guess Jason’s big challenges are now related to school, but walking was a big milestone that happens in the 2-3 yr range for our kiddos.  Aren’t they cute when they just learn and they stumble around like drunks?  I love that age.

Luke and the nerds

The Owens Family is working on academics.  What nerds we are!  Luke seems to love letters and we have been pushing reading and writing with the Learning Program, Handwriting Without Tears, TV Teacher, magnetic letters, foam letters in the bath and the iPad.  He seems to be sucking it up.  In fact he just pointed out a typo for me while I was writing this.  We have been facing some school issues.  Our county wants to place him in Kindergarten this year even though he barely makes the age cutoff.  We want to hold him back.  We want him to REALLY be ready when he hits kindergarten where we plan to push for full inclusion! Negotiation with school officials I think will be our big challenge going forward.

Kayla and her court

Kayla turned seven years old recently.  Happy birthday, Kayla!  Kayla herself was unavailable for comment but Rick says their ‘current challenges’ revolve around school as well.  Rick’s big thing is communication.  It is important to respond quickly when things aren’t working.  If you put things off and say things like ‘we should just give it another month’, you can quickly miss a whole school year in an sub-optimal environment.  Rick says to keep pushing and go after the things you need.  We also talked about inclusion and what Kayla’s day was like.  Making friends and fitting in is also a challenge.

That’s our episode.  Sorry for the hiatus.  We had two postponements in a row.  One by a guest and one that is all Mark’s fault.  However we have some really great guests coming up so stay tuned!

We are the Down Right Awesome Dads and thanks again for listening!

~Mark~
Download Down Syndrome Radio, Episode #20.
Better yet…subscribe, rate us and leave a comment on iTunes!

10 years after 9/11, a dad’s love triumphs over terror

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

He’s devoted his life to his family: ‘When my kids smile, the terrorists lose’

by Bob Dotson from Today:

‘They lost; we won’
We all tell our kids, “I’ll be right back.” After 9/11, some children didn’t believe that. Victoria Alonso’s mother, Janet, went to work at the World Trade Center that morning and never returned. Her dad was left to care for a 2-year-old daughter and a baby boy with Down syndrome.

“If I was to tell you I did this by myself, I’d be a liar; I’d be a flat-out liar,” Robert said. “I got my mom, my aunt, my pop to help.”

But he never returned to work at the pizza place he owned in Stony Point, New York. His family substituted for him. “I owe it to my children to be around,” Robert explained. “If I buried my grief in work, my kids would lose both their parents.”

He no longer put off anything that brought them joy. “If we’re lying on the floor and all of a sudden Victoria says, ‘Daddy, I want to go to the park,’ I’m like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to go to the park.’ That’s what I’m thinking, but I say, ‘Let’s go. We’re going to the park.’ ”

Robert shouted “Hang on, guys!” as the kids squealed with laughter. They were riding in a grocery cart, careening across the lot toward dad’s big SUV. “Why should I deprive my children from going shopping?” Robert said. “I see all the other mothers going shopping with their kids.  Why can’t I do it?”

He raced alongside the grocery cart, jumped on its rear axle and pushed with a powerful leg.  The children exploded with laughter again. “When my kids smile, the terrorists lose,” Robert said with a grin. “The people who killed Janet wanted to destroy our happy lives. They lost. We won.”

Since 9/11 Robert has taught his children to treat every moment like an unopened gift. “I don’t want to be the rain cloud in my family,” he said. “I want to give my kids the incentive to do things and go forward.”

He coached Victoria's softball team to the New York State championship the year she turned 12. “We all went out and bought rounds of Lipitor,” Robert chuckled.

And toasted his son Robby, too. The 10-year-old learned to walk and read before most kids with Down syndrome because his dad played with him every day.

Robert waited a long time for his family. He and Janet tried to conceive a child for 10 years, then gave up. Two months later, she was pregnant. They considered it a victory, so they named their daughter Victoria.

These days, when Victoria looks in the mirror, she sees her mother. “She was special to me,” Victoria said, even though she can barely remember her mom. “I love her.” She paused. Her eyes welled with tears. “People need to know that.”

The two are much alike. Victoria is an honor student; Janet studied nights and weekends for years and graduated from college in her late 30s. She worked as an email manager on the 97th floor of the World Trade Center. On the day of the attacks, she had just gone back to her job at Marsh & McLennan after staying home to take care of her second baby, Robby.

Janet’s body was found seven months after 9/11, on her son’s first birthday. “God works in funny ways,” Robert sighed. “Hearing the knock on the door and the news that Janet’s body had been recovered from Ground Zero, that was the most difficult. It really knocked me out. It was like September 11 all over again.”

I visited the Alonsos on the first Mother’s Day after 9/11. Robert scooped up his kids and carried them out on the deck in back. “Come on,” he said, “let’s say hello to mommy in the stars.” It was his 13th wedding anniversary.

As Victoria neared her 13th birthday, I asked her, “If your mom were sitting here today, what would you ask her?"

Victoria stared across her backyard in thought, then turned to me. “I’d ask her, ‘What would she want to do with me today?’ ”

Good times keep bad memories at bay. The Alonsos spent that 9/11 in the park, near a memorial that their neighbors built to Janet and all the other parents from their New York City suburb who went to work that day but never came home.

Robby wandered to a wall filled with names as his father and sister played catch nearby. “Right here,” he said, pointing to Janet Alonso’s name etched in marble. “This was my mommy.”

The little boy leaned over and scraped his fingers back and forth across his mother’s name. His father watched, then rubbed his own hands together, as if he could scour away painful thoughts.

Robby drew his fingers to his mouth, kissed them and gently pressed them on his mother’s name. “Mama,” he whispered.

We all think about 9/11 once a year. The Alonsos live it every day.

Arizona Man with Down syndrome gains right to vote

by Erin Taylor from The Daily Miner:

Clinton Gode is a Special Olympian, a former Safeway bagger and, as of last week, a registered voter.

Gode, who lives in Lake Havasu City but grew up in Kingman, became the first person to earn the right to vote under a law passed by the Arizona Legislature earlier this year. The law grants those under full guardianship the right to vote in an official election after appearing before a judge to determine competency.

Gode's application was approved in Mohave Superior Court by Judge Lee Jantzen following a 30-minute hearing Thursday.

"It's one of those things we don't get to do that often," Jantzen said. In fact, the hearing was the first in the state under the legislation, which took effect on Aug. 1.

Clinton and his father, Art, have pushed for voting rights for those with special needs for the last several years. Art said that when he was granted guardianship over Clinton when he was 18, Clinton lost the right to vote because of it."It took the wind out of his sails," Art said.

Art has been an activist for people with disabilities and special needs since Clinton was born with Down syndrome. Art is currently a board member for the Arizona Center for Disability Law, one of the sponsors of the bill proposed by the Godes.

Art said he and Clinton visited with lawmakers across the state to put a face to the bill. One of the concerns by officials was that someone like Clinton could be easily influenced by others and talked into casting a vote against their will.

Clinton, his father said, has a mind of his own, especially when it comes to politics. He and Art are on opposite sides of the political aisle and have had some spirited debate on current affairs and the presidential candidates.

"That's why we put him up front," Art said. "He's a character."

Judge Jantzen said he was looking for convincing evidence that Clinton was capable of understanding his rights as a voter and participating in the process of casting a ballot.

"It was a pretty easy determination," he said. "His answers were slow and deliberate but he was reasoned."

Clinton, 25, worked for several years as a bagger for the old Safeway on Stockton Hill Road before moving to his own apartment a year ago. He does not drive and has an assistant help him with trips to places like the grocery store. He is a Special Olympian and competed at the Kingman swim competition on Saturday.

Art said the best thing about Thursday's hearing was stepping back from his role as an advocate and admiring his son on the witness stand as a proud dad.

"As a father, it's just incredible," he said.

Introducing the Down Syndrome Radio Podcast!

from Down Syndrome Radio's Introduction:

When my friend, Mark – fellow Down Right Awesome dad and a podcast veteran – noted the lack of regular podcasts about DS and suggested that we just do our own, I jumped at the chance….well, I was a little hesitant at first, but with a bit of arm twisting, Down Syndrome Radio was born!

We are doing the DSR podcast to share our stories about parenting children with Down syndrome – from a dad’s perspective.  We are definitely not experts, but hope that we can help other parents going through similar experiences.

At this point, we have recorded four episodes and plan to continue to try to record about once per week, shooting for about an hour per episode.  We would love to incorporate guests as we progress and the topic allows (less work for us!).  We have a pretty good grasp of the format for the show, but we will continue to experiment as we go forward.  Please, feel free to leave comments or send us email – let us know what works or doesn’t, tell us your story, ask us questions….anything!  Enjoy!

• iTunes Listing: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/downrightawesome-down-syndrome/id535852575

Podcast Episodes:

• DSR Episode #1: Getting the News

• DSR Episode #2: Telling Family and Friends / Common Medical Conditions

• DSR Episode #3: Essential DS Resources

• DSR Episode #4: Special Needs Advocacy

A father's quest to make daughter's dreams of fame come true

By Andrew Ford, Florida Today:

Emily Foster sings. She plays softball. She hangs out with her sisters, she doesn't get scared on the big rides at the fair, and she likes science class best of all. And like most other 10-year-olds, she has a dream.

Hers is to be famous.

She also has Down syndrome.

When she told her father, Russ Foster, that one day thousands of people would scream her name, he decided to help her reach her goal — or, he figured, as close as they could get. The Melbourne, Fla., dad started a Facebook page for what he calls the Emily Foster "famous" project. He's already got more than 1,000 friends and acquaintances to "like" it.

Russ isn't really expecting fame in the form of thousands of people screaming Emily's name. Instead, he's measuring success based on the number of new people and experiences he can introduce Emily to, and, to a lesser degree, the number of famous people she can meet.

"It's just a dad trying to make his daughter's dream come true," said Russ, who has three other daughters. "I want her to be seen like any other kid, and I guess me creating the project is a way to level that field."

Emily's mother, Amber, initially was wary. She feared people might be mean to Emily.

"It would hurt my heart," Amber said. Thankfully, she said, that hasn't happened.

To be a singer

When Russ first envisioned the Emily Foster "famous" project back in January, Emily noted several activities or achievements for which she could succeed — ballet, medicine, fashion design, zoo keeping, firefighting, and shark hunting, to name a few. But most often she said that she'd like to be a famous singer.

Emily likes to play CDs on a boom box in the bedroom she shares with her 5-year-old sister, Averi. Her favorite artist is Taylor Swift; her favorite song is Swift's "Never Grow Up." Emily strums on a small pink guitar and sings along, working to overcome her speech impediment.

Russ said that chances are slim that Emily will become a famous singer.

"Unless there's some miracle, people aren't going to buy tickets to her concert," Russ said. "My dream would be for her to introduce Taylor Swift at a concert."

Russ managed to make contact with Swift's agent. He said they may be able to arrange something the next time Swift is in the area.

Russ persuaded figures such as actor John Travolta, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and Dick LeBeau, a Hall of Fame defensive back and football coach, to send Emily autographed photos. She got a part in a local music video. She met the Harlem Globetrotters.

"I didn't realize until later that it was kind of a unique endeavor," Russ said of the project.

"Any time a child, whether or not they have Down syndrome, when they express a dream, parents should be encouraging of that," said Amy Van Bergen, executive director for the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida.

"There are people with Down syndrome who are famous, who are well-known," Van Bergen adding, citing Lauren Potter, an actress with Down syndrome best known for her role as Becky Jackson on the popular show "Glee."

Of course, the chances of any child becoming famous are slim.

"I don't think (Emily's) chances are any less than a typical child who doesn't have Down syndrome," Van Bergen said.

Emily and her twin, Megan, were born at 33 weeks, rather than the usual 40.

Russ and Amber said they had never thought much about Down syndrome before they had Emily. After, they worried about the possible health impacts.

"I remember sitting and bartering with God," Amber said. "I'm going to care for this child like my other ones. Don't take her away from me."

That's what Russ and Amber say they have tried to do, raise Emily the same as their three other daughters: Megan (Emily's twin), Averi, 5, and Miranda, 16.

Russ said it was helpful that Emily had a twin without a disability; it gave them a benchmark to measure Emily's development. Both girls had attended Manatee Elementary School, but the family decided to withdraw them when they felt that Emily was being unfairly separated from the general education setting.

Emily has responsibilities at home and she is punished if she misbehaves, just like her sisters.

"We treat her like the other kids in the household," Russ said. "She doesn't get any special treatment."

"It's amazing what she does with the barriers others place in front of her."

Community rallies around baseball player with Down syndrome

By Keith McCord, Deseret News:

Next week, it's post season tournament time for the Farmington Area Baseball League. And for the Angels, who are in the Pony Division, they're hoping to turn their season around and win the trophy.
One of the players is extremely excited. He's number 12, Blake Curtis. But everybody calls him "Blakee."
For the 17-year-old right fielder and sometimes pitcher, Wednesday's game was just another game. Blake's been playing ball since he was about 5, and he can't wait to get to the ball park.
"I have to be really careful about game day," laughs Jeff Curtis, Blake's father and coach. "As soon as I tell Blake there's a game, he'll put his uniform on. Most times, I come home from work and the game isn't for three hours, he's already home with his uniform on saying, 'Come on, let's go play.'"
Blake has Down syndrome, a chromosomal condition in which extra genetic material causes delays in a child's mental and physical development. Curtis has two children with Down syndrome. He said through experience he has learned that with children with disabilities, parents have to start early doing activities or there's no opportunity for the children to develop skills.
"We thought we'd try to go through the hard times, so we could get to this point," he said, "and it's been worth it."
He said the most important thing with anyone with a disability is to let them set their own limits. Not everyone can play baseball, he said, but some of them can, so people should let them play.
The league rules have been modified somewhat for him. For example, when he's batting, if the pitch is outside the strike zone and he swings and misses, it's still called a "ball."
"If it's over his head and he swings, it's a ball," explained Curtis. "But if it's in the strike zone, it's a strike no matter what he does. But that does two things: it forces the pitcher to throw strikes and it gives Blake a chance to go up and wail away and see what happens. And he's hit pretty good, he's done pretty well."
The team is also allowed to have 10 players on the field. "The reason we asked for that, and I've never had a parent say it, it's never been an issue, but I never wanted a parent to come and say, 'Well, why is my son sitting down because the boy with Down syndrome is playing," Curtis said.
Blake didn't hit the home runs he was hoping for that night, but he got on base a couple of times and scored. The Angels have wrapped up their 12-game regular schedule, and it was a tough year with three wins, eight losses and a tie. But the post-season starts Monday and the team has new optimism.
Blake's dad said there have been some difficult learning moments on the field through the years. Blake used to throw the bat, instead of dropping it after he hit a ball. And the first time he got hit by a pitch, he got mad and didn't want to go to first base. He wanted to stay at the plate and keep swinging.
Blake plays each game with great enthusiasm. Curtis credits that to all the players, parents and the league for giving Blake the chance to play.
"It's just been a lot of fun because everybody's been so good to him," he said, getting a little emotional. "These kids especially, they've supported him, rallied around him when he bats or when he pitches. (It's) been a lot of fun."
Curtis is grateful for the opportunity his son has been given. "That's all he ever wanted. That's all we wanted to see."
Blake and the Angels now have an opportunity to win the league championship next week.
"When we started, I never thought we'd get past the pitching machine," Curtis said. "He's faced a real pitcher and done really well. It's amazing what kids are capable of if you just give them the opportunity and get out of their way."

Father helps daughter experience high school prom

from the Souix City Journal by Tim Gallagher:

The email began with a teaser. "Good story," it read.

It continued: "Vernon Meyer... has Down Syndrome daughter Corinne... she will probably not marry or be independent ... She is a senior at Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School ..." 
So he did what most people probably wouldn't do. He rented a tux and they got her a dress he took his daughter to prom.

"I think being around all those teenagers probably not the most comfortable moment for a dad ... but he did it for her ... what a great example in fatherhood ... he may not be a war hero or a big-shot executive ... but he is a hero to his daughter ... and a good example to ... men ... to be fathers."

The message led me to Sergeant Bluff on Thursday. I found Vernon and Aileen Meyer sitting at the kitchen table with their oldest child, 18-year-old Corinne, still all smiles, reliving her big night Saturday, her senior prom.

"Dance," she said. "Dress," she said, pointing at the pictures.

"A friend of Corinne's went last year to prom and we thought, 'Wouldn't it be neat for Corinne to experience prom in her senior year?'" Aileen asked.

Aileen and a couple of her friends took Corinne to find a dress recently. I failed to understand the depth of this mother-daughter rite.

"We might not get that whole wedding dress experience that a mother and daughter often share," Aileen said. "So this was kind of our big hurrah for Corinne. And, yes, I suppose, for me as a mom. I'm so grateful I had friends with us who could share in the experience."

Vernon, meantime, headed to Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. for a black suit and bow tie.

Corinne awoke at 6:30 a.m. each day last week. She'd pop into her parents' bedroom, asking, "Dance? Dance?"

"Not yet," they'd reply. "The dance is coming, but not until Saturday."

The SB-L High School prom played out a few hours after Corinne ran two races in a Special Olympics meet at Sioux Center, Iowa. She placed second in the 50-meter dash, fifth in the 100-meter dash.

The family then "sprinted" home to shower and dress to the nines, as the expression goes. They soon found their place in line waiting for the announcer to introduce this "couple" in the grand march.

"I was more nervous for this than I was for my own senior prom 25 years ago," said Vernon, a 1987 graduate of Lytton, Iowa, High School.

The crowd cheered. Vernon and Corinne stopped several times for pictures while passing sections of the bleachers.

"Corinne is a ham," Vernon explained, saying his daughter wasn't at all nervous about the experience. "Her personality doesn't lend itself to being nervous."

Following the grand march and its related paparazzi, dozens of SB-L High School prom-goers gathered around Corinne to congratulate her on her beautiful dress and inspiring walk with Dad.

"That's all you want as a parent," Vernon said. "You want for any of your kids to be accepted and loved."

While that could have ended the experience on a high, Vernon gave his daughter more. They headed with the group to the Marina Inn across the river in South Sioux City where they dined and danced with the rest of SB-L's prom contingent.

It marked Corinne's first school dance.

They danced for nearly three hours until Corinne's eyes grew heavy. Dad knew the time had come to take his prom princess home.

"This was really just a chance for Corinne to experience her prom," Vernon Meyer said. "I focused on her reaction and I could see it meant a lot to her."

With graduation and an extended learning program coming to help Corinne transition from high school, Vernon Meyer grew reflective.

Studying his daughter's prom photos and the corsage, he said, "I'm so glad we did this. Those moments are valuable and limited."