A homecoming invitation between two Utah teenagers has turned into a viral celebration of friendship, after 16-year-old Bingham High School sophomore Ava Mousley accepted Jack Dowdell's invitation to attend homecoming with him. Jack, who has Down syndrome, came to her house and asked her, and she said yes. The two arrived at Bingham High School's dance alongside their friends, with one friend dressed in a full Slurpee costume in tribute to Jack's favorite drink.
Mousley and Dowdell first met back in middle school, and their friendship deepened once Mousley enrolled in a peer tutor program, as detailed by KSL.com. Mousley said her connection to the disability community traces back further still, to her mother's longtime friendship with a man named Ben, who has autism; Mousley visited Ben frequently while growing up, an experience she says shaped her instinct toward inclusion. When it came time for homecoming, it was Mousley who asked Jack's mother, Kimberly Dowdell, whether Jack might like to go with her.
Jack asked Ava to homecoming himself, arriving at her house to pop the question before she accepted. At the dance, Jack danced in front of cheering classmates, and Mousley wasn't the only one who brought a special date that night — two of her friends also attended with dates who have special needs, according to the same report.
A Slurpee Suit With a Backstory
The Slurpee costume referenced Jack's favorite drink. In August 2025, Jack was featured on ABC World News Tonight after a video showed him buying his favorite 7-Eleven Slurpee entirely on his own for the first time, at age 14. His father captured that moment on camera while giving Jack the space to make the purchase independently.
Video of the homecoming invitation was viewed more than 3 million times after it was shared on social media, and NBC Nightly News picked up on the post as it spread. That kind of reach wasn't entirely surprising given the family's existing online footprint: Kimberly Dowdell runs a family advocacy channel with 1.1 million followers, and videos featuring Jack have attracted widespread attention.
Kimberly Dowdell has said that sharing Jack's journey can show others the joy of raising a child with Down syndrome, and that her content offers a glimpse of hope for parents who have just received a new diagnosis. She has described Jack as someone who sees endless possibilities rather than limitations. Mousley echoed that sentiment from her own vantage point, saying she felt lucky and privileged to attend homecoming with Jack and calling the day the best of her life.
School-Based Support
Bingham High School provides special education services.
Brighton High School, where the dance took place, has its own track record of institutional inclusion efforts. The school participates in Utah First Lady Abby Cox's Show Up initiative, hosting Unified Special Olympics games in which general education athletes compete alongside students with intellectual disabilities, per KSL reporting from a widely attended scrimmage that featured the school's cheer squad, pep band, and student body.
Inclusion and Support
Moments like Jack and Ava's homecoming show inclusion in practice.
Jack is turning 15, and the family plans to mark his birthday with a global card drive his mother organized in his honor.
