When it came time to find a date for the prom at Stafford High School in Falmouth, Virginia, 17-year-old Stephen Virgil knew just who to ask: His grandma, 92-year-old Julia Jarman.
Earlier this year, Jarman was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and doctors said she may only have a few more months to live, according to her daughter-in-law Pam Virgil.
In the meantime, her grandson has set out to make the days ahead as special as possible for his grandma, who calls him “my boy.”
Taking her to prom seemed like a no brainer.
“I wanted to bring my grandmother to prom because I wanted to do something special for her,” the high school junior told HuffPost. “Plus, she never went to her own in high school.”
So last month, after Virgil and his mom secured permission from the school’s principal, Jarman strolled into prom for the very first time, wearing a blue dress she picked out because it complemented her grandson’s vest and bow tie.
Prom just so happened to fall on the eve of her 92nd birthday, which made the evening extra special.
When the pair walked into lobby of the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, the school’s principal and faculty presented Jarman with a special sash and a crown fit for a prom queen:
Virgil even convinced the DJ to play one of his grandma’s favorite songs: “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley.
“She almost had me crying as she was singing it along with me while we was dancing,” he told HuffPost. “As far as the evening went, we had a great time together. I won’t forget that night with my grandmother.”
Virgil’s mom Pam said the sweet gesture wasn’t surprising coming from her son. Before prom, he took his grandma on a week-long trip to Florida through the Dream Foundation, which grants wishes for terminally-ill adults around the country.
And on Mother’s Day, the teen took her out to lunch and to visit the graves of family members at Arlington National Cemetery.
“He also mentioned that he would like to take her to Virginia Beach for a weekend and to Hershey, Pennsylvania,” his mom said. “He’s a very loving young man and this makes me especially proud of him.”
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