Seven-year-old boy throws prom for his babysitter after hers is cancelled due to coronavirus

A seven-year-old boy is being praised after taking it upon himself to host a prom for his babysitter after hers was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Curtis Rogers, from Raleigh, North Carolina, hadn’t seen his nanny, Rachel Chapman, a senior at Sanderson High School, in two months, when he learned that her senior prom had been cancelled.

According to Curtis’s mom Elissa, rather than let his babysitter miss out on the opportunity to wear her prom dress - and see him - he decided to throw a “mini prom” in his family’s backyard.

"I planned it out because Rachel probably wanted to see me a lot," the seven-year-old told ABC11. "She also is one of the best people I've known."

His plans started with a “promposal,” which consisted of him holding a sign that read: “Mini Prom isn’t today but will you go on Monday?”

“He came up with the slogan," Elissa told Today. "He’s a pretty creative kid and really wanted to make sure everything was perfect.”

For prom night, Curtis chose his own outfit - a blue suit and purple bow tie to match Rachel’s dress - and set up a table in the backyard for a fancy dinner, that also allowed for social distancing, with the help of his mother.

In addition to setting the scene with flowers and Rachel’s senior portrait, the seven-year-old also chose a meal of their favourite foods, including apples and peanut butter, Chick-fil-A, and smoothies, according to Today.

"First he was waiting outside when we got there with the pool noodle and then he led me into the backyard," she told ABC11. "He had all my favourite foods and everything. I could tell he put a lot of thought into it."

After dinner, the pair danced to a specially curated playlist, which included songs from Frozen and Moana.

Rachel’s mother later shared pictures of the mini prom on Twitter, where she wrote: “My daughter has been a nanny for this amazing kid for over a year. When he realised she wouldn’t have a senior prom, he wanted to throw her one. He planned a socially distant prom, complete with dancing & her favourite foods.”

The tweet has since been liked more than 54,000 times, with many expressing their joy over the sweet gesture.

“He’s awesome. The world needs more of these kind gestures,” one person commented.

Another said: “This is the sweetest thing ever.”

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Family hosts 'porch prom' for high school senior after dance cancelled