Elementary School Sweethearts Who Have Down Syndrome Share Sweet Valentine's Day Dance
Two elementary age friends who have Down Syndrome shared a spontaneous dance in their classroom on Valentine’s Day, and footage of their adorable moves are melting hearts everywhere.
Third-grader Sophie, 10, and first-grader Graham, 8, are students at Westwood Elementary in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and have been “drawn to each other” ever since becoming friends earlier this school year, their special education teacher, Maureen Lawson, told Inside Edition. While they are the best of buddies, Lawson was nevertheless surprised when she saw the two sharing a dance together for the first time on Valentine’s Day.
“I turned around and they were just slow dancing and there was no music,” she said. “I had never seen them dance before. They were just doing something sweet and fun.”
Lawson said she isn’t sure what prompted them to share the special moment.
“Our classroom was very busy at the time, but they just decided to dance, with no music and no talking,” she told Good Morning America.
Lawson took out her smartphone and recorded the duo, and later posted footage of their dance to the school’s Facebook page where it quickly went viral.
“This is so beautiful on so many levels,” wrote one user in response to the video. “If we all could regain the innocence of a child, the world would be so much better!”
It has since garnered nearly 5 million views as of Friday morning.
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“The response to the video has been incredible,” Westwood Principal Darren Nelson tells PEOPLE. “The video is so touching that you cannot help but smile. It has been wonderful.”
About one in every 700 babies in the United States is born with Down Syndrome, which occurs when an individual is born with an extra copy of chromosome 21, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 6,000 babies in the U.S. are born with the chromosomal condition each year.
While those with Down Syndrome may appear similar, the way the condition affects them can vary. Typically, they will have an IQ in the “mildly-to-moderately low range,” and will have delayed speech abilities, the CDC reports.
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For Lawson, Sophie and Graham’s bond is a remarkable one.
“Sophie is new this year, and she and Graham just hit it off really well,” Lawson she Inside Edition. “Sometimes friendships for children living with cognitive abilities is a hard thing.”
