BOUNTIFUL, Utah — Once upon a time, there was a parade.
But this wasn't just any parade — this was the Bountiful Handcart Days Parade. It was so special that all the Disney princesses left their royal duties to attend. But in this fairytale, Cinderella is actually a woman named Katie.
Katie has Down syndrome. She, her brother Matthew and their mom Rozanne were supposed to be Crown Up Productions' guests of honor together at the parade. Crown Up Productions is an organization that strives for women of all backgrounds to tap into their diverse talents and strengths.
"I just got a random call from my mom asking, ''Wey, would you like to be a prince?' and I'm like, 'A prince of what? Because prince of fools, I got that down all the way,'" Matthew Loynd said.
Sadly, Rozanne passed away at the end of May before she could be part of the parade. She was supposed to play the role of the Fairy Godmother.
"When she passed, my mom ended up taking that role," said Crown Up Productions founder Lara Wasserlein. "But Katie on her dress, her sister got her this beautiful angel pin to wear on her dress to represent her mother."
After Katie's mom's passing, Wasserlein along with Lamar Taylor, his son Jason, and their Gypsy Vanner horse stepped up to help make the parade even more special for Katie and her family.
"Her dream was to be Cinderella in the parade in the carriage and she said let's make this dream come true to her so that's what we did," Taylor said.
Taylor knows personally what it's like to lose someone important, which is why it was even more special for him to hold the reigns of the carriage Cinderella Katie was on.
"My oldest daughter, Jana, has a son who has Down syndrome and autism. He's 16, and three years ago this month she was training for a bike race and a semi cut the corner, ran over her and killed her," Taylor recalled.
Although he misses his daughter every day, he takes pride in giving back to the community in ways like this.
With a fairy godmother next to her and one looking down, this is a day Katie will never forget.
"She was milking it the entire way, just all smiles, a really magical moment for her," said her brother.
"Meeting all the other princesses and stuff, she just got so happy," added her sister.
Katie's story is also a reminder that all of us need those fairytale moments.
I just look at her and think she has that zest for living that some of us have lost and would love to get that back," Wasserlein said.
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