HS Senior With Special Needs To Be Named Honorary Homecoming Queen

It's homecoming week at Bethel High School, and it's a memorable one for a local family. Their daughter with special needs will be crowned honorary homecoming queen.

Brytni Srader, 17, was born with a rare chromosome defect that's kept her from developing. She isn't able to walk on her own right now. But with the help of her brother and cousin, two football players at Bethel High School, she'll walk out on the football field Friday night to accept her crown.

Most of the time you'll find Brytni by her mom's side. She's 17, but looks much younger. She weighs just under 40 pounds. When Brytni was three years old, she was diagnosed with Partial Trisomy 18, which kept her from growing. Mom Bridget has wondered her entire life what her daughter would say if she could talk.

"She'll smile with her eyes," Bridget Stobbe said. "You can tell if she wants something or what she does from her eyes."

Brytni has always had medical complications. She just had hip surgery in June, and she has a seizure almost every day.

"Each year, there's something new that pops up, but we take it a day at a time and do what we can for her," Stobbe said.

Right now, they're making bright-colored signs for the Bethel football game Friday night. The school has decided to name Brytni honorary homecoming queen.

"It's great. We're excited. I don't know, without the school, my friends, my family, I don't think I could've gotten past half of this," Stobbe said.

Brytni's still getting used to her new leg braces, but with the help of her family, she'll be ready for her crowning moment.

"There will be a lot of tears, I'm sure," Stobbe said.

You won't be able to miss Brytni. She'll be wearing a hot pink dress, and she's riding in a red Mustang convertible. Her mom, Bridget, was Homecoming Queen at Bethel High School her senior year too.

Bethel is playing Dickson Friday night. The game starts at 7:30.