After attending her high school prom last year, Danielle Clayton knew exactly who she wanted to spend her last dance of Grade 12 with.
But unsure if he’d ask her to go with him, she gathered some of her friends and presented a ‘promposal’ none of them will ever forget.
“Just seeing the smile on his face was worth it,” Clayton says.
Clayton and the recipient of her proposal – fellow Grade 12 student J.D. Kus – have been friends since they began attending Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Guelph together.
Kus, who has Down syndrome, has been mentored by Clayton for those four years.
Their friendship is well known across the school, and as soon as Clayton started telling others about her plans to ask Kus to the prom, she learned that others wanted to do their part as well.
“So many people wanted to help. It was so sweet,” she says.
Kus was surprised by the proposal, not least because he’d planned to ask Clayton to the dance on the same day.
“It makes me happy. It’s my dream,” he says.
Since Monday, video of the promprosal has spread across the internet, racking up thousands of views in short order.
But for those who know the couple, there’s nothing surprising about what happened in the Our Lady of Lourdes cafeteria.
“It’s actually a little bit embarrassing, because of all the attention,” says Clayton’s mother, Marlene Clayton.
“It’s just another prom proposal for Danielle.”
For now, both teens have their sights set on May 20 – prom night.
“It should be a great party. I’ll wear a nice big suit,” says Kus.
“She’ll match.”
Watch the the heartwarming video here.