By MORGAN TARPLEY

mlt017@latech.edu

 

Sequined dresses, black tuxedos and teenage anticipation are typical elements of the social event of the year for most high school students — prom.

For some teens, though, like the patients at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, attending high school prom proves to be nearly impossible.

But two Tech students, Ashley Hollier and Jana Vail, both senior family and child studies majors, set out to change their expectations.

Hollier and Vail have joined with Cook on a project to collect prom dresses for the hospital’s prom May 16.

“[Vail and I] were told about the prom at Cook and how a lot of the patients probably won’t be asked to prom or be able to go,” Hollier said.”

“We wanted to help, so we called Cook to ask if we could offer prom dress donations.”

Vail said response to the project has been highly effective.

“We have collected over 20 dresses, and we had several girls go home last weekend to bring us more,” Vail said. “Everybody we have talked to has been really interested in helping and willing to donate.”

Vail said the dresses were collected either in boxes they placed outside the human ecology department offices in Carson-Taylor Hall or from girls bringing the dresses to them.

“I think being able to be involved and get students in the university involved with donating and thinking about what they can do in the future for hospitals is great,” Vail said. “We just thought it was a good service project to contribute to.”

 “The prom is for chronically ill and handicapped patients who either don’t get asked to their prom or can’t go due to medical reasons,” Anita Pumphrey, a child life specialist and an instructor of family and child studies, said.

“The prom is a big deal. [Cook] hires a DJ or band for the prom, and a local florist donates flowers.”

Pumphrey said the evening should be something the teens will not easily forget.

“Local fraternities and sororities volunteer to be dates for the patients, along with the other preparations,” Pumphrey said. “The teens want to be normal because their lives are so not normal, and that is why this prom is so important to them.”

Pumphrey said the teens at Cook want normal experiences and want to do what other kids get to do.

“A lot of the patients can’t get prom dresses, so [Cook] asks for donations of dresses that teenagers would like to wear,” Pumphrey said.

“They want stylish and cute dresses like regular high school girls would want to wear.”

Pumphrey said she was approached by Hollier and Vail to participate in the project.

“[Human ecology] collected dresses for Cook a couple of years ago, so I thought the idea was great,” Pumphrey said.

“I really like seeing students stepping outside their academic work and really start applying what they know to make a difference.”