A wonderful night
Malik Brown pauses for a photo before departing for the Washington High School prom.
Malik Brown and Teanna Trainer are all smiles at the Washington High School prom.
Malik Brown and Teanna Trainer pose for a photo at the Washington High School prom.
The prom is a teen rite of passage: a celebration of young people’s transition into adulthood.
But when Malik Brown and Teanna Trainer walked arm in arm down the runway at the grand march of Washington High School’s prom on May 17, it was more than that. It was proof, said Teanna’s mother, Robin Trainer, that all things are possible and that there are no limitations except the ones we put on ourselves.
Malik, 18, has Williams syndrome, a rare neurological disorder characterized by extreme friendliness, developmental delays and cardiovascular problems, and Teanna, 17, is autistic. Malik’s mother and stepfather, Melissa Pepper-Miller and Rick Miller, and Teanna’s mother want them to have the opportunity to participate in activities other high school juniors do, such as attending the regular prom instead of one for special-needs students held by Intermediate Unit 1.
“The best part was actually seeing her go to the prom.,” said Trainer. “She said from the start of the school year that she was going to go. I felt tremendous. It was a wonderful night. When they were out in front of the house taking pictures I got teary-eyed. “
For Malik’s mother, the prom gave him a chance to be “one of the guys.”
“It makes me happy to see him doing the things a teen his age would be doing.
“It shows that he’s progressing in his independence,” said Miller, a nurse at Washington Hospital whose family has been longtime friends with the Trainers.
Malik and Teanna have known each other since they were in elementary school together (they share a love of basketball and gym class), and for years Teanna’s mother teased her that the pair would attend the prom together. The two friends enjoy spending time together doing things like eating at Applebee’s, bowling and watching movies.
When Teanna announced to her mother at a wedding both families attended that she planned to ask Malik to take her to the prom, Trainer’s aunt, Veronica Wilkins, threw herself into the preparations.
She and Teanna visited a local bridal shop, where Teanna tried on five or six gowns before she ended up picking an orange dress – her favorite color – with a matching silk jacket. Malik selected his own black tuxedo and a patterned vest and tie.
“He must have felt really good in it because he was doing karate moves in it,” Melissa Miller said with a laugh.
When prom day arrived, the families took pictures at their houses, including one of Melissa’s favorites, a photo of Malik carefully slipping a corsage onto Teanna’s wrist. Rick Miller rented a black Chrysler 300, donned a suit and chauffeured the couple to the high school and the George Washington Hotel.
Jamie Frazier, life skills support teacher at Washington High School, said she was thrilled to see the pair attend the prom because few special-needs students tend to participate in extracurricular activities at the high school.
“I was so happy for them. They were so excited, and they looked so nice,” said Frazier.
Melissa was apprehensive about the pair participating in the grand march because Malik sometimes gets distracted, and she worried about how they would do at the prom.
But students made the couple feel at ease, and chaperones kept an eye on them throughout the night.
“Malik talks to everybody. He knows people and everywhere we go, people say hi to him. The kids were saying how good he and Teanna looked,” said Melissa.
“They looked really cute, and they felt special. I was so proud.”
Their favorite part of the night was dancing.
“We danced all night. There was a DJ and he played really good music,” said Malik. “It was fun.”
Malik was diagnosed with Williams syndrome when he was about 4 months old after his pediatrician detected a heart murmur and referred Melissa to a pediatric specialist at Children’s Hospital, who suspected the rare condition.
Genetic testing at West Penn Hospital confirmed her suspicion. People with Williams syndrome usually have cardiovascular disease and learning difficulties, coupled with striking verbal abilities, highly social personalities, “elfish” facial features and a love of music.
Malik had open-heart surgery at the age of 4, and takes medication for hyperthyroidism, insulin resistance and high blood pressure. He attends the high school’s life skills class.
“I feel blessed. He is a joy to be around. Everything he has done so far is a feather in his cap, a real accomplishment,” said Melissa.
Teanna was diagnosed with autism at 18 months, after her mother noticed that she was not reaching developmental milestones that her twin sister, Brianna, reached. Trainer said doctors told her that Teanna would probably never learn to walk, be potty-trained or develop verbal skills, but she and Veronica worked with Teanna for hours every day to help her.
“She communicates her needs very well,” said Trainer. “When she wants to be, she’s very verbal.”
Trainer said the prom pictures she posted to her Facebook account have served as inspiration to other families with special-needs children.
“I got a response from a woman whose daughter is autistic, and she thanked me and told me it gives her hope,” said Trainer. “If we can help other people too, it’s more than I could ask for.”