Girl With Down Syndrome Can’t Hide Her Joy While Telling Father She Made School Drill Team
May 11, 2023 by apost team
When 14-year-old Bree Cox discovered she had made her high school’s drill team, she couldn’t wait to break the good news to her dad on the phone. Sensing just how momentous the occasion was, her mother, Kecia Cox, filmed her daughter on the phone, and Bree’s sweet reaction resonated with millions online. Bree’s viral moment is also significant for a big reason – as a teenager with Down syndrome, Bree is blazing a trail for others like her to feel accepted and unafraid to put themselves out there.
The video showed Bree telling her father the news, and she simply couldn’t hide her joy.
“Dad was working late so she had to call him to share her exciting news before she got in bed. She started crying she was so happy and when I asked if she was crying she said no I’m laughing 😘 I honestly don’t think she has ever cried out of happiness before, she didn’t even know what to do ❤️” Kecia wrote in the caption.
Bree learned she had made the cut at her Utah school in May 2021, and her mother told People the weeks following were “really touching.”
“You fight for your kids with special needs every day, to some degree, because you’re their voice. So when these little victories happen, you’re like, ‘Okay, it’s worth it. They’re seen by somebody and they’re valued,’” Kecia remarked.
She added that while Bree “doesn’t like to talk about it, but she knows that she’s different and has different struggles.” But it’s little victories such as making the high school drill team that can make a world of difference in the life of someone like Bree.
One of the main reasons making the drill team meant so much to Bree was because her eldest sister, Kyra, 18, had joined the team in the past, while Bree would get to dance alongside another older sister, Adrie, 16, who was already on the squad.
In fact, Bree described her sisters as her “role models” and never failed to show up to all of their competitions, even memorizing their routines. This instilled a love of dance in her and the hope that one day, she, too, could follow in their footsteps. However, this also worried Kecia, who told People:
“Bree didn’t understand that she had a disability, so she saw (Kyra and Adrie) doing things and she was just going to do them too. It almost broke my heart back then, because I really didn’t know if she would ever get to do it, and how was I going to explain that to her if she didn’t? I don’t want to limit her by any means, but I also want to protect her.”
Kecia’s worries were put to rest when Bree made the team, and she couldn’t be happier. “People believed in her and saw her, and that’s really hard to do with kids with disabilities sometimes,” she said.
Kecia hoped that Bree’s achievements would help pave the way for more diversity and acceptance in all areas of life. She said:
“It’s more than just a spot on the team — not just for our family, but for everybody to see this is possible. It gives hope to all of us that there’s more Brees out there, and more coaches and teams like this out there who are going to say, ‘Of course, we’re going to make a place for you.’”
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Did Bree’s story warm your heart? If so, pass this on to family and friends so they can fill inspired by Bree’s journey, too.