Florida Teen with Down Syndrome Asks Girlfriend to Homecoming in Sweet 'Proposal' Video
One romantic teenager pulled out all the stops when asking his girlfriend to a school dance.
David Matthew Cowan, a student from Seminole High School in Florida, surprised Saris Marie Garcia, his cheerleader girlfriend, during a football game on Thursday. The 19-year-old senior dashed onto the field with a bouquet, balloons, and a sign that asked his sweetheart, “Will you be my sunshine to homecoming?”
In a video posted to Instagram of the sweet moment, Garcia, 18, is seen dropping her pom-poms when she sees Cowan, 19. She runs over, grabs his sign, and is all smiles when she reads it.
Ever the gentleman, Cowan then drops to one knee to ask her to the dance and gently kisses her hand when she agrees. Garcia’s cheerleading squad and people in the stands then erupt in applause as Cowan triumphantly raises his arms in the air.
The video posted to Garcia’s Instagram quickly went viral, earning more than 280,000 views since it appeared on the platform last week.
“That’s how they are. They are always so genuine and sweet and happy together,” Garcia’s mother, Wanda Cruz, told Fox News.
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According to WOFL, the lovebirds — who both have Down syndrome — have known each almost all their lives. They met in a speech therapy class when they were just 3-years-old.
“They’ve always been together. It’s just so cute how their relationship progressed and blossomed,” Cruz told Fox News.
The couple had a fantastic time at the homecoming dance, she said, and the school’s principal even brought them on stage for some special recognition.
“The sweetest thing was when the principal brought them to the stage and introduced them to the school as a special couple, and the crowd went wild,” she said. “They were just jumping and screaming and cheering for them. It was so cute.”
Garcia is a runway model who has been featured in NYFW, and in events in Orlando and Puerto Rico, and she hopes to one day model in Paris and London. The couple recently had their photograph featured in Times Square for Down Syndrome Awareness month in October.
“It feels amazing to share this story and also to see the impact on other families [with children with Down syndrome], how they feel inspired, and it shows them they can have a fulfilling life,” Cruz told Fox News.
“They have hopes and dreams and are capable,” she added to WOFL. “It’s great to promote inclusion and acceptance.”
