Sweet 16: Local Teen with Down Syndrome Gets Surprise Birthday Parade

NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (EYT) – Community members pulled together to create a special 16th birthday for a local teen.

(Photos by Dave Cyphert of ProPoint Media Photography)

Donovan Calhoun was born with Down syndrome. He is also deaf in one ear and was recently diagnosed with scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine.

His 16th birthday was a big deal to him, like it is for any teen, according to his mother, Tracy. However, with the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tracy was unsure how to best celebrate it.

“I really wanted to come up with something that would be grand for him, something that he would think was a big deal,” Tracy told exploreClarion.com.

“He really likes parades and likes being the center of attention on his birthday, even though he doesn’t usually like compliments and hangs back a lot. He likes being around friends and likes people singing Happy Birthday to him.”

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Tracy said that with Donovan currently doing virtual school from home and being unable to even see his friends, she thought having a parade of people wishing Donavan a Happy 16th Birthday would be “like a living birthday card” for him.

“I just wanted it to be something really memorable for him.”

With that idea in mind, she took to Facebook and wrote a post asking if people would be willing to participate.

She didn’t anticipate the immediate response.

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“Within ten minutes, I think I had about 50 people on there.”

The word quickly spread, and along with community members, local emergency service agencies also gave their pledge to join in the event.

Fire companies from New Bethlehem, Hawthorn, and Distant all joined in the event.

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The parade began at the New Bethlehem Fire Department and then made its way by the Calhoun home located on Washington Street where Donovan and his family were waiting.

“A huge thank you to everyone that helped make Donovan’s 16 birthday party drive-by parade, ‘Epic,’ as he put it,” Tracy said.

“I hope this will be a wonderful memory of his for the rest of his life.”

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