When Ben Moser was in the fourth grade, he promised his classmate Mary Lapkowicz that he’d take her to prom. Seven years later, Ben followed through and took his friend to the dance on May 8.
“A lot of grade-school aged kids may have stayed away from my sister Mary or thought she was weird because she has Downs Syndrome,” Mary’s brother, Tom, wrote on Facebook. “But not Ben.”
Ever since the Pennsylvania teens met back in the second grade, Ben has always looked out for Mary. Unfortunately, the two drifted apart when they went to separate high schools.
Last year, they reconnected when their schools played each other in a football match. That’s when Ben, who is the school quarterback, remembered his promise.
“I thought Mary was really cool,” Ben recalled. “She was sweet and easy to get along with.”
Mary was originally planning to go to the dance with some friends, but was ecstatic when Ben presented her with balloons and asked her to go. The two attended prom last week and their fourth-grade teacher, Tracey Spogli, even made an appearance!
“Watching Ben and Mary in 4th grade always made me smile,” Spogli told Today.com. “Ben was always so protective of Mary and genuinely cared for her, and it was evident in his actions and words. He would keep an eye on her, just wanting her to be happy and involved in our classroom activities.”
Ben’s sweet act not only touched Mary and her family, but his mother as well. “[Ben] has grown into a man with a big heart, a deep sense of putting others first, and most of all, making people feel special and loved,” Lisa Moser wrote on Facebook. “With joyful tears in my eyes and down my face I watched a promise made, seven years ago, to a beautiful girl fulfilled.”
Since attending prom, Ben has received a lot of praise for keeping his promise. One of Ben’s family friends wrote on Facebook: “So happy remembering you telling me about this so long ago and now seeing it happen! Not much could bring me down at the moment!”
Another said: “So special to see. Great photo. Moments like this inspire and make for memories for years to come.”
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