Teen Refuses To Attend Prom After Boyfriend’s Death, So His Father Steps In
For any student in their final year of high school, the highlight of the year is attending their graduation and prom night.
So when a 19-year-old man unexpectedly passed away a month before prom, his girlfriend refused to attend the event without him—and that's when the late boyfriend's father decided to step in.
The Prom
From slow dancing under twinkling lights with your significant other, taking endless selfies with friends, to getting glammed up in a formal dress, prom night should be the happiest night for any high school teenager.
But following a devastating death, prom night soon turned into a bittersweet night to remember for one Pennsylvania family.
Carter And Kaylee
This is Carter Brown and his girlfriend Kaylee Suders. Carter graduated in 2017 from James Buchanan High School in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. He was a lover of the culinary arts, attending the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Culinary Arts Program.
Carter and Kaylee were high school sweethearts, and they were planning to attend prom together later that spring.
The Car Accident
On April 15, 2018, Carter lost his life in a multi-vehicle car accident in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. He was only 19 years old.
A devastating loss for everyone, Carter was survived by his dad and mom Robert and Kelly (O'Neil) Brown, and his girlfriend Kaylee.
Refusing To Go
Carter and Kaylee had been dating for a year and had planned to attend the high school prom together. But with Carter gone and prom quickly approaching, Kaylee refused to go without him.
That's when Carter's father Rob stepped in.
Will You Go To The Prom With Me?
Rob asked the high school principal if it'd be okay if he took Kaylee to the prom instead, and once receiving approval, asked Kaylee the same question.
"There was just no way I could have said no," Kaylee said in an interview with Inside Edition. "It was way too sweet and I was really grateful that he did that."
Prom Night
So on the night of her high school prom, Rob and Kaylee took photos together, before heading to the prom. Kaylee, Rob, and Kelly even found ways to incorporate Carter into some of the photos.
"It would have been easy for Kaylee to stay home on prom night. It probably wasn't easy for Robert to get dressed in a tux that Carter should have been wearing. But I also know that this would have made Carter happy," Carter's mom Kelly wrote on Facebook.
Offering Support
The story received attention from various news outlets and went viral on social media.
Soon after, everyone from friends and family to even complete strangers from all over the world were offering their sympathies and love to Kaylee and Carter's family.
Bittersweet Moments
While prom was full of heartbreaking moments for Kaylee and Carter's family, it was also filled with happy moments as well.
"Add this to the list of reasons why I love my husband. Kaylee, I know Rob wasn't your first choice for a date, but he will forever be mine," Kelly wrote on Facebook.
