AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me)
Autistic student who missed his prom because his sister was too old to be his date to be crowned prom king at a special dance of his own
An autistic student who missed his senior prom because his sister was too old to be his date will get a second chance with a special dance held in his honor.
Jayce Whisenhunt, 19, was devastated after his sister Jessica Helling, 24, was told she exceeded the age limit to attend the prom for students of Montgomery Central High School in Clarkesville, Tennessee.
Whisenhunt, who has autism, ADHD, and a learning disability, left the party in tears because he didn't want to stay without his sister.
His story went viral after his father Tone Whisenhunt posted on Facebook about it – and slammed the school for not making an exception to the rule than bans dates over the age of 20.
Jayce Whisenhunt, 19, (right) was devastated after his sister Jessica Helling (left) was told she couldn't accompany her brother to prom at Montgomery Central High School in Clarkesville, Tennessee
Then, a group of woman decided to throw Jayce a special dance in his honor at the same location, the Wilma Rudoph Events Center.
They created a GoFundMe page to raise money to put on the event, called ‘Jayce’s Prom’, which will be open to students and their relatives from all schools.
In three days, the page has raised more than $7,000.
Helling is already invited as prom queen, and the event will include a limo, dinner, DJ and red carpet.
‘This is all coming together great,’ Helling told The Tennessean. ‘I never expected the community, and now the whole world, to reach out and help as much as they have.
‘Me and my brother both are so excited and honored to have this opportunity, and we couldn’t thank everyone enough for all their kindness and support.’
She added that the outpouring of support ‘means the world to me and my family.’
The prom planner Michelle Gordon told the paper that their original goal had been surpassed but the page will stay up for a while – and any money not used for Jayce’s prom will go to sponsor other special-needs foundations.
‘Because of how much interest there has been in the event, we are working to ensure the additional funds that continue to come in go toward making this event as exciting as possible and increasing awareness for autism and special needs.’
Jayce, who attends a program at an off-site location separate from the high school, had spent weeks practising his dance skills and a friend had bought him a $400 suit.
He and his sister had gone out for dinner before they arrived at the prom.
'I asked her because I don’t have anybody else for a friend, nobody else to hang out with,’ he told News2.
Helling, who graduated from the same high school, said she was honored to accompany her younger brother, and spent the whole day making him feel special.
According to the GoFundMe page, their father made sure they had flowers, and the siblings went out to dinner and took photos together before the big event.
'It was heartbreaking. It took everything for me not to bawl and squall crying because he had looked forward to it,' she told the local news channel.
The school district said they set the age limit to ensure the safety of the students.
Guests who are 19 or 20 are subjected to background checks before they are allowed to attend, according to News2.
But the student's father was upset by the way his son was treated and choked back tears when he told WSMV: 'Your kids have one prom and he didn’t even get to go to it.
'That’s what upsets me the most.'
Tone told ClarkesvilleNow.com: 'I just think they should have some kind of an exception for special needs kids when it comes to their prom.
'Where was the protection when he was getting bullied all through school, but they want to protect him at a prom?'
Montgomery County school district spokesperson Elise Shelton said a copy of the rules was sent home, and that an exception could have been made if it had been planned beforehand.
SOURCE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...sed-prom-crowned-prom-king-special-dance.html
Autistic student who missed his prom because his sister was too old to be his date to be crowned prom king at a special dance of his own
- Jayce Whisenhunt, 19, has autism, ADHD and a learning disability
- He asked sister Jessica Helling to prom at Montgomery Central High School in Clarkesville, Tennessee, because he didn't have other friends
- The two left in tears when Helling, 24, was told she was too old to attend
- School district forbids guests older than 20 to ensure the safety of students
- After Jayce's story went viral, a group decided to give him a second chance
- They have raised more than $7,000 to throw a prom in his honor on June 10
An autistic student who missed his senior prom because his sister was too old to be his date will get a second chance with a special dance held in his honor.
Jayce Whisenhunt, 19, was devastated after his sister Jessica Helling, 24, was told she exceeded the age limit to attend the prom for students of Montgomery Central High School in Clarkesville, Tennessee.
Whisenhunt, who has autism, ADHD, and a learning disability, left the party in tears because he didn't want to stay without his sister.
His story went viral after his father Tone Whisenhunt posted on Facebook about it – and slammed the school for not making an exception to the rule than bans dates over the age of 20.
Jayce Whisenhunt, 19, (right) was devastated after his sister Jessica Helling (left) was told she couldn't accompany her brother to prom at Montgomery Central High School in Clarkesville, Tennessee
Then, a group of woman decided to throw Jayce a special dance in his honor at the same location, the Wilma Rudoph Events Center.
They created a GoFundMe page to raise money to put on the event, called ‘Jayce’s Prom’, which will be open to students and their relatives from all schools.
In three days, the page has raised more than $7,000.
Helling is already invited as prom queen, and the event will include a limo, dinner, DJ and red carpet.
‘This is all coming together great,’ Helling told The Tennessean. ‘I never expected the community, and now the whole world, to reach out and help as much as they have.
‘Me and my brother both are so excited and honored to have this opportunity, and we couldn’t thank everyone enough for all their kindness and support.’
She added that the outpouring of support ‘means the world to me and my family.’
The prom planner Michelle Gordon told the paper that their original goal had been surpassed but the page will stay up for a while – and any money not used for Jayce’s prom will go to sponsor other special-needs foundations.
‘Because of how much interest there has been in the event, we are working to ensure the additional funds that continue to come in go toward making this event as exciting as possible and increasing awareness for autism and special needs.’
Jayce, who attends a program at an off-site location separate from the high school, had spent weeks practising his dance skills and a friend had bought him a $400 suit.
He and his sister had gone out for dinner before they arrived at the prom.
'I asked her because I don’t have anybody else for a friend, nobody else to hang out with,’ he told News2.
Helling, who graduated from the same high school, said she was honored to accompany her younger brother, and spent the whole day making him feel special.
According to the GoFundMe page, their father made sure they had flowers, and the siblings went out to dinner and took photos together before the big event.
'It was heartbreaking. It took everything for me not to bawl and squall crying because he had looked forward to it,' she told the local news channel.
The school district said they set the age limit to ensure the safety of the students.
Guests who are 19 or 20 are subjected to background checks before they are allowed to attend, according to News2.
But the student's father was upset by the way his son was treated and choked back tears when he told WSMV: 'Your kids have one prom and he didn’t even get to go to it.
'That’s what upsets me the most.'
Tone told ClarkesvilleNow.com: 'I just think they should have some kind of an exception for special needs kids when it comes to their prom.
'Where was the protection when he was getting bullied all through school, but they want to protect him at a prom?'
Montgomery County school district spokesperson Elise Shelton said a copy of the rules was sent home, and that an exception could have been made if it had been planned beforehand.
SOURCE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...sed-prom-crowned-prom-king-special-dance.html
