The heartwarming story of three high school basketball players who came to the defense of a cheerleader with Down syndrome has captured the attention of people around the world.
A basketball game was in progress when a group of high school boys heard something going on in the stands and rushed off the court to intervene. In Kenosha, Wisconsin, cheerleader Desiree Andrews also has Down syndrome. She never let that get in the way of her goals and was excited to join her school’s cheerleading squad.
However, at a recent basketball game, Desiree drew the attention of several supporters of the opposing school to her team, and they started harassing her. Three players from her school immediately went to her side to defend her when they noticed this. To help Desiree, who is walking around”, friends Chase, Miles, and Scooter sprinted off the court.
We all came forward because the kids in the audience were picking on D, Chase recalled. We were furious. That bothered us. Miles, 14, recalls: “We asked our athletic director to speak to people and tell them not to make fun of her.
Since this incident, the boys have become friends with Desiree and even started accompanying her to class to prevent further bullying. When Cliff Andrews learned what the boys had done for Desiree, he sobbed uncontrollably. He revealed that a character from the popular TV show “Glee” motivated him to start cheerleading.
She noted, “If she can be a cheerleader, I can be a cheerleader,” he added, referring to a character on the show who has Down syndrome and is a cheerleader. Since then, the entire school has rallied to support Desiree, and at the last few basketball games, the crowd chanted, “Whose house? “D is home!” The athletic director even raised a flag with this inscription. Timothy Nieman!
As Nieman said, “That’s what standing up, being a real team, not just a basketball team, but a team of people who are going to support somebody,” means. We salute these three young men for helping Desiree at a crucial time!
To learn more about it, watch the video below.
The story of Chase, Miles, and Scooter’s actions to protect Desiree Andrews touched the hearts of many and became an inspiration to people around the world. Their act of kindness and sportsmanship showed that we all have the power to make a difference and that standing up to bullying is everyone’s responsibility. Let us all be inspired by their actions and work to promote inclusivity and kindness in our communities.