With the help of her family and a thrifted dress, a Fort Saskatchewan teenager had her own graduation party.
It all started when Halie’s grandmother saw a purple dress while shopping at Twice But Nice, a local thrift store. She knew it would be a perfect gift for her granddaughter.
Halie’s mother Brandi gave some background on her daughter. She was adopted at six years old and diagnosed with autism. This led to her being the target of bullying at school.
“Then, along came the pandemic and all classes were forced online. Interestingly enough, this ended up being heaven-sent for Halie,” said Brandi, who then began taking Halie to a local Outreach school.
“If I look back from where we came from when Halie was first with me to today, it is truly amazing. Now most people have no idea that she is disabled. That is how well she has adjusted over the years. Her story has always been one of second chances and the power of love and giving back,” added Brandi.
However, because she was at a school that didn’t have a graduation ceremony, her family decided to put one on for her.
“My family was there and even my Grade 3 teacher and my Grade 6 EA. My Grade 1 teacher joined us from China via Facebook. It was a complete surprise,” said Halie. “I thought I was just getting pictures done!”
After the ceremony, Halie decided that she wanted to donate the dress back to Twice But Nice in the hopes that it finds another deserving graduate.
“I want someone else to have the chance to have the same memories with that dress as I got.”
