3 basketball players noticed crowd bullying cheerleader with Down syndrome — they immediately walked off the court
It can be a wonderful experience to see teenagers stand up for their friends or schoolmates. A middle school in Kenosha, Wisconsin, witnessed that back in 2015 when three basketball players walked off the court to confront the people bullying a cheerleader with Down syndrome. The boys walked to the bullies, sitting in the gymnasium bleachers in the middle of the game, and spoke to them about the remarks they had made about the girl, Desiree Andrews, reported TODAY.
The cheerleader ignored those comments at first. However, the three players, Chase Vazquez, Scooter Terrien and Miles Rodriguez, heard taunts coming in from the gymnasium bleachers and could not ignore them. "When I heard they were talking about her, it kind of, like, made me mad. A couple of us went over there and were like, can you guys just stop? That's not right," Rodriguez told NBC-affiliate TMJ4 News. "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," Terrien remarked. Andrews no longer walked to class alone, as many people had been drawn to her after the incident. When the boys and Andrews entered their final year of middle school, the players decided to call the gymnasium "D's House" to honor her.
The gym director explained that the name had really stuck and he was planning to make an official banner for the place. On the other hand, Andrews revealed her family felt the gesture was "sweet, kind, awesome and amazing." After that incident, the team members actively looked out for her on and off the court, per TODAY. She was always introduced as a part of their starting lineup and received fist bumps and high-fives from players as they passed by. "I was floored. This whole experience has been amazing," the girl's dad, Cliff, told the outlet. Andrews had always wanted to be "famous," and after the incident, her dream had come true.
"Well, now she's on Cloud Nine because she really is famous. She's been on TV, she had a dedication ceremony and I'm getting thousands of emails on her behalf. She's absolutely loving it," Cliff admitted. However, the dad said he was unhappy when his daughter was bullied that day, and he pointed out that it probably bothered him more than his daughter. "She threw her arms around me, gave me a big hug and told me, 'Papa, it's okay. I still love them, even if they don't like me.' She's good with it. Desiree loves unconditionally." Cliff talked briefly to the three boys and asked their coach to tell them he was grateful for what they did for his daughter.
Cliff explained that his daughter loved cheerleading because it combined music and dancing, two of her favorite things. Also, she was a big fan of "Glee," where a character with Down Syndrome nails cheerleading like a pro. "She told me, 'If she can do it, I can do it.' So I approached the school about it and they were more than happy to accommodate her." He added, "The cheerleaders and everybody there all help keep an eye on her throughout the day. The students at Lincoln Middle School have just been phenomenal."