PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The coronavirus might have stopped students from physically going to prom but it didn't stop one high school senior from having one anyway. With the help of her family and friends, it was a night to remember after all.
“I put on makeup, I wiped off all my tears and I ended up having a really fun night,” said Dwyer High School senior Kayla Abramowitz after her school prom was canceled because of the coronavirus.
“It really hit me hard that Saturday morning...I was gloomy throughout the day but I got a text from one of my friends saying, 'join this video call, we’re all going to be getting in our prom outfits and we’re gonna just dance together and listen to music.'"
So she got in the beautiful dress she had bought for prom, even had an impromptu photo shoot, and joined her classmates for a virtual prom. What made it even more special was a sweet surprise from her brothers.
"They don’t like dressing up at all and I was taking some of the pictures by myself and they ran out the door and went "surprise!" and they were all dressed up in tuxedos...It made me feel so, so happy and surprised. In this time I think where everything is a little dark it really brought a light into my life," she said.
The photos even caught the attention of the Palm Beach County School District which applauded Kayla and her peers for their positivism and resilience during this tough time.
“Even though it’s really tough and not the most desirable of circumstances, we’re able to go and turn things around like I did with the prom and make things a little bit better,” said Kayla.
She is making this time a little better for others too virtually through the non-profit she founded, KaylaCaring4Kids, which supports sick children.
“I wanted to do something from the comfort of my home to help kids that are just like me that are experiencing some of the same things so I decided to read books and do crafts.”
@kaylacares4kids is live at 5 p.m. every Monday on Instagram Live and Wednesday on Facebook Live for book readings and arts & crafts.