Grieving teen lost her dad and grandad just weeks apart—then an NFL player showed up for her daddy-daughter dance
Parent-included activities like a father-daughter dance are powerful ways to show up for teenagers and reinforce love and bonding. Audrey Soape unfortunately lost her dad and shortly after, her grandpa also tragically passed away due to cancer, CBS News reported. Her daddy-daughter dance at school was weeks away and the 11-year-old was a little heartbroken as she already knew she had no father figure to show up. As she tried to grieve and overcome her pain and hollow feeling, Philadelphia Eagles’ Anthony Harris jumped into the scenario to offer a spectacular and comforting act.
One can only imagine the gut-wrenching pain it is to battle grief one after the other. The 11-year-old had her own pain and undoubtedly felt the absence of her dad and, later, her grandpa, too. This absence echoed louder as the date to her daddy-daughter dance came near. Audrey didn’t expect anything; she ideally already knew that, since her dad and grandpa were no more, there wouldn’t be anyone to take her by the hand. However, there was. Audrey’s mom, Holly, knew her daughter was a huge fan of Harris and decided to make an unusual request. She asked the NFL player to escort her daughter to the dance.
While it seemed like a big ask, Harris didn’t turn down the request. Unfortunately, at the time, the Philadelphia Eagles were to give their best at the playoffs and the schedule was unpredictable. Holly was assured that if the player could make it, he wouldn’t miss it. The Eagles got out in the first round and call it fate, luck, or just a coincidence, it meant that the player could accept the invite to the father-daughter dance. The mom was contacted to confirm Harris's presence at the dance and he did everything in his power to prepare for it and show up in the best way possible. Right from her dress, shoes and other requirements for the big day, Harris paid for it all.
"All of it was just a fairy tale and amazing," Holly said. Without further ado, the mom-daughter duo got ready for the big day. A little hope rekindled in Audrey’s heart. Though she was nervous, she was looking forward to the special day. As promised, Harris showed up all suited up and escorted Audrey in her pretty dress. A few glimpses revealed how gently and sweetly Harris danced with her, making it nothing short of a dream come true. "He was very nice. When I was super nervous, he made it feel less nervous to be around him and it was really fun. And as the night went along, it got a lot less awkward,” the 11-year-old gladly recalled.
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The athlete also shared magical glimpses from the night on Instagram and one can feel the surprise and awe Audrey felt through her smile. Holly was beyond grateful that the athlete stepped up to accept the invitation and went above and beyond to make the day memorable. "Every time I think he could see she was getting nervous, he would just engage in conversation with her," the mom remarked. Right from having a scavenger hunt to playing games, Holly was glad that Harris “really made the whole night just really incredible for her.” His showing up became a healing and soothing memory that will remain with the teenager for a lifetime.