“Sweet, kind, awesome, and amazing.”
Those are the four words that Desiree Andrews, an eighth grader in Kenosha, Wisconsin, used to describe a beautiful show of kindness that sparked her story to go viral.
Born with Down Syndrome, Desiree is a normal teen who enjoys dancing for her school cheerleading squad. However, while performing a routine during a home basketball game last year, people sitting in the bleachers started to make fun of her for ‘dancing to her own music’.
Players from the team were having none of it. As soon as the boys heard the bullies, they decided to call a timeout, and walked off the court.
They told the bullies, “Don’t mess with her.”
Brandon Morris, the Lincoln Middle School basketball coach last year, said, “All of the guys got together to show her support.”
“We were mad; we didn’t like that. We asked our sports director to talk to the people and tell them not to make fun of her,” said fourteen-year-old Miles Rodriguez, one of the players who stood up for Desiree.
He said the incident sparked a change in their school, “Everyone loves her now.”
Another player, Scooter Terrien, said, “It’s not fair when other people get treated wrong because we’re all the same.”
“We’re all created the same. God made us the same way.”
Today, Desiree, whom they call “Dee” for short, never walks to class alone. Coach David Tolefree said this of the boys:
“They have really stepped up, almost like they are big brothers to her.”
The students affectionately dubbed the school gym, “D’s House”. And because the nickname has stuck, they’re erecting a banner with the title.
The students even had t-shirts made to celebrate Dee being with the team.
The team’s last home game was played in Desiree’s honor, with the players shouting:
“Whose house? Dee’s house!”
Laura Stone, the school’s cheerleading coach, said having Desiree in the squad, and seeing basketball players defend her, has helped all the students “grow and become more compassionate.”