"[The D.J.] cleared the dance floor and let us dance the first half, just me and my mom," Dylan said.
Kerry Huffaker had just a few months to live, but because of her son, she was able to have one of the most memorable nights of her life. Dylan Huffaker's mother, who was suffering from stage 4 brain cancer, with a nine to 20-month prognosis, was the only person he would want to accompany to prom. According to TODAY, The 17-year-old surprised his mother with chocolate doughnuts during her radiation treatment at Mountain States Tumor Institute in Twin Lakes, Idaho, a few weeks before Canyon Ridge High School's big night. The words, "Will you go to prom with me?" were written in icing on these doughnuts, which his mother first missed. Because it's the one food that hasn't made her queasy during treatment, she assumed he had brought them.
"That was the most beautiful I think I've ever seen her," Dylan Huffaker told ABC News. "I thought about it and I can look back after years and years and remember who I went to prom with. I'll know it was someone I loved who meant something to me." The neighborhood banded together with Melissa Rowe, a social worker at the tumor institute, to make the evening as special as possible. She added: "My reaction was, 'You don't want to go to prom with your old, bald mom. You'll be embarrassed.' And he said,'No I won't. I'll have the prettiest date there.'" Rowe got in touch with the local auto dealer's owner, Gregg Middlekauff. In addition to providing an SUV for the evening, he also covered the cost of her clothing and their supper. "It was the most beautiful dress I've ever worn in my life," Huffaker said.
Even though they possessed a car, a driver was still required. That's where Mike Fenello, CEO of the hospital where Huffaker is receiving care, comes into play. He gave them not only his time but also a boutonniere and a corsage in addition to driving them around all night. A photographer was waiting to capture the moment as the high school senior picked up his mother and took her to dinner. "I was taken by surprise, that's for sure," Kerry told ABC News. "I try not to focus too much on the future. I try to live today as best as I can, but [thought], 'Who's going to dance with my son when the mom is supposed to dance with the groom at his wedding day?'"
The prom was held in the gym of Dylan's high school. He claimed that dancing to Garth Brooks' "The Dance" with his mother was the highlight of the evening. "[The D.J.] cleared the dance floor and let us dance the first half, just me and my mom," Dylan said. "I put her through 17 years of hard times, so it's worth it to take her to prom. I love that my mom is as caring as she is. No matter what your going through, she's willing to help -- no matter what hard times she's facing."
References:
https://www.today.com/parents/teen-takes-mom-terminal-brain-cancer-prom-t95911
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