Young cancer patient gets heartwarming ‘ promposal’ By John Rech

Young cancer patient gets heartwarming ‘ promposal’

By John Rech

news@theeveningtimes.com

Springtime brings prom considerations for many high school students. One simply does not ask some one to the prom like its an ordinary event, not anymore. The prom may serve as a milestone event. The night of dinner, dancing and after-prom play now demands another preliminary event. The invitation has become a “promposal.”

One young lady was completely surprised by her promposal last week. 10 year old Abi Blankenship got a thrill when a double dating couple asked her to join them.

Many in the community know the youngster, Abi Blankenship, from the recent abistrong hash tag and Facebook page. The 10 year old has fought cancer through seven rounds of chemo-therapy at St. Jude’s Children Hospital. The cancer, Ewing’s Sarcoma, was in remission for a while but the return prompted more chemo starting last month.

The community rallied around her with fundraisers including a big pizza sale and a golf tournament for her benefit.

Now some double-daters want to show their love and support with a night at the prom.

The couples, Ales Dostal and Ryce Smith, and Taylor Shields with Abi’s sister Kara Blankenship were unanimous for treating Abi to the prom.

The high school students constructed a pink cardboard castle with a bouquet of flowers and a tiara inside for the big promposal reveal. With family friend Ales Distal on a knee, his hand extended big sister Kara popped the question.

“Will you go to prom with me?” asked Kara. “This is you handsome date.”

Abi was all smiles. But her date, Ales hadn’t heard her answer. Sweetly he looked into her eyes and said, “Will you go to prom with me.”

“Oh, yes,” she replied with a beaming face and a hug.

Not everyone may go to the Marion High School Prom. The seniors knew it and appealed to Marion High School Principle Paul Johnston for permission to bring Abi to the big dance.

It’s all set.

Abi’s mom, Jamie Swain, gave the blessing.

“It’s all positive because we don’t know the future, said Swain. “When she ended her first line of treatment we kind of bucket listed prom along with other things, simple things like go to a Broadway show, go to a concert. Truly defying odds, we wanted to do as much as we reasonably could. We make the most out of whatever the situation is.”

What about the quartet of Marion High seniors taking Abby to prom?

“They do like we do; they give back in every way they can,” said Swain.

“We’ve raised them to always live their lives thinking

of others.” The prom date details

were all a surprise to Abby.

All she could do was smile. Her mom summed it all up. “I did not tell her,” said Swain. “We live life without regret. Take life and go for it.”