The compassionate act of one homecoming queen is going viral after her decision to give her crown away to comfort a grieving family.
According to reports, Brittany Walters had promised her mother before she passed away from cancer that she and her father would go to homecoming, where Brittany herself was nominated for queen.
Her mom, A.J. Walters, was her biggest supporter, and didn’t want her daughter to miss out on her big moment.
Brittany, a student at Mississippi’s Forrest County Agricultural High School, didn’t win, but I think it’s fair to say that a gesture made on the night transcends the importance of winning and losing in such circumstances.
It was Senior Nyla Covington who was voted the school’s homecoming queen at a football game in late September.
Directly after being named queen, however, she approached Brittany and her father, and placed the crown on the former’s head.
Nyla, who had asked the school’s permission beforehand, told CNN: “I just felt like it was something that was put on my heart.
“It was really just for her, to bring up her day a little bit, and she’d rather have her mom than a crown… but the point was, I was telling her that she was her mom’s queen and I was just letting her know that she was loved by many and especially me.”
Brittany, meanwhile, says Nyla’s gesture took her completely by surprise.
“I just felt so like so much love from her, and I just felt so much love for her and the whole school,” she explained. “As soon as I got off the field, I just got hundreds of hugs from every single person in the stands.”
As per CNN, Nyla wants Brittany to keep the crown as a reminder of the special moment.
“It’s just something materialistic, but we put meaning to it so that’s why I want her to keep it,” she said.
Brittany’s father, Sean Walters, said: “Just knowing that there’s people out there that care about this story and knowing that, not directly, but maybe indirectly, maybe my life is helping reach a lot of people, and just part of this story is continuing [A.J.], I guess the way that she lived her life.”
My thoughts go out to Brittany’s family. Losing a loved one is never easy, but perhaps this compassionate gesture can help them reflect on an otherwise terrible period with just a little solace in their hearts.
Please, share this article if what Nyla Covington did put a smile on your face, and to wish Brittany well moving forward.
