A teen boy’s one and only desire was to go to the school dance. Sadly, he received no response from any of the women. But a date came on the night of the dance. When his mother went outside, she noticed what was on the driveway.
With the same aspirations and goals as most teenagers, Daniel Rivas, a 17-year-old Arizona boy with Down syndrome, is just like other youngsters his age. He plans to eventually attend college and pursue a career as a chef. But before that happened, he wanted to take part in his high school activities, which included going to his homecoming dance with a date. Sadly, he received no response from any of the women.
Daniel’s predicament was revealed to Kylie Fronius, a student in the 10th grade after he repeatedly asked different girls to go on dates with him but was consistently rejected. When Kylie heard that Daniel had been declined, she made the decision to take the lead and understood right away that she wanted to surprise her friend. She consequently proposed to Daniel during a date at school. Of course, Kylie’s proposal for her return made Daniel very happy.
Tonya Rivas, Daniel’s mother, said in a teary voice, “Someone took the time to take my son to homecoming.” Words can’t really express how I’m feeling right now, she continued, speechless at Kylie’s thoughtfulness. “Daniel does not have a disability. Kylie didn’t see any disabilities. As a mother, that is what your heart desires.
Little did Daniel and his mother realize, however, that when Kylie’s charming proposal went viral on social media and caught the eye of the local news, the unexpected surprises were only beginning for the little kid. I don’t think of children with disabilities, Kylie admitted to Fox 5 KVVU-TV. She continued, “I don’t think of them as being different. I’m hoping to brighten his evening. And her dreams were about to come true thanks to the news team.
The community-recognized Fox 5 Surprise Squad, which is known for giving major gifts to people who go above and beyond for the community, determined that Kylie and Daniel hadn’t gotten enough praise. They also wished to contribute to making Daniel and Kylie’s special night even more memorable by being a part of it.
They wanted to do big because they were moved by Kylie’s compassion, and the Surprise Squad, as they say, always goes big. In fact, Kylie’s unassuming act of goodwill had set off a night of surprises that nobody would soon forget, starting with a Rolls Royce arriving to pick up the couple for their date.
The high school students were picked up by the Surprise Squad and driven to the homecoming dance where they continued to be treated like celebrities after having a lavish meal at Bistro 57 at the Aliante Casino. There were many tears shed during the emotional evening, but they were happy tears since the surprises kept coming.
The event was brought to a close by The Surprise Squad, who announced that they were taking Kylie, Daniel, and their families to Disneyland in order to create even more memories. Additionally, United Nissan in Las Vegas, which also surprised Kylie with a car, gave Daniel a $10,000 scholarship in order to ensure that the remainder of his aspirations would come true.
Don Forman, the owner of United Nissan, explained his inspiration for making both Kylie and Daniel’s wishes come true: “All you had to do was watch the [original] news report that aired, and you saw a young lady with a great heart, and she was inspirational.” In fact, it frequently only takes one small act of kindness to start a chain reaction in which others are inspired and driven to follow suit.
Even if Kylie Fronius didn’t invite Daniel Rivas to homecoming in order to receive praise or recognition, nice gestures frequently have those effects. While the Surprise Squad may not pay you a visit, you will get to experience another person’s enjoyment. As Kylie demonstrated, happiness and compassion are both highly contagious. Why not just be kind and accept that reward? After all, sharing a little love doesn’t cost us anything, and the benefits are immeasurable for both the recipient and the giver.
Here is the video: