Trey Moses plays basketball for Eastern High School’s team In Louisville, Kentucky. He was originally going to take his girlfriend to the school’s prom but decided to ask Ellie Meredith instead.
Moses volunteers to help teenagers with learning disabilities. He said that he was taking Ellie to prom because “She’s great… she listens and she’s easy to talk to.”
He made the prom-posal on Thursday. After texting Ellie’s parents for permission, he presented Ellie with a sign saying “Let’s Party Like It’s 1989” in her PE class, a reference to Taylor Swift’s album and Ellie’s favourite singer.
Darla Meredith, Ellie’s mother, is reported to be “thrilled” at the news, saying:
“You just feel numb to those moments raising a special needs child. You first feel the need to protect and then to overprotect.”
Many students spend thousands of dollars in the run-up to prom season on the wealth of enticing clothes that are available to buy. Retailers like RissyRoos stock a dazzling array of dresses, shoes and accessories and the prom business is now big money with the average cost of the evening being $1,200 per student attending.
Ellie is looking forward to getting her preparations underway. Her mother says she “can’t wait” to go dress shopping and Ellie says she has told “only about a million people” amid her excitement.
Trey has been described by teachers as a person capable of bringing out the best in all around him. James Whitford, his future coach at Ball State, which he committed to in September, said: “The best thing about Trey, is that this is not a one-time thing.”
The news got out after a teacher at the school, Trina Helson, told the school newspaper staff. Photos of the pair were soon posted on the school’s Twitter feed and these have now gone viral with support from well-wishers endeared by what Moses has started. The tweet has been shared over 2,000 times.