Stop your doom-scrolling. It's time for something heartwarming.
Audrey Soape is an eleven-year-old girl from Texas with strawberry blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes and a big bright smile. You wouldn't know it by looking at her, but Audrey's had a pretty rough year—unexpectedly losing both her father and grandfather.
Anthony Harris is a thirty-year-old NFL player who got his start in Virginia and is currently the safety for the Philadelphia Eagles.
At first glance, these two don't seem to have much in common—aside from flowing hair and disarming smiles—but the unusual pair were brought together by two of the strongest forces of our time—a mother's love and the power of the internet.
When Audrey's school announced a daddy-daughter dance, Audrey's mom, Holly, knew this was going to be a pain point for her little girl. Having just lost the men in her life, Audrey was a Daughter with no Daddy or Grandpa to take her.
So Holly threw a proverbial Hail Mary for her daughter.
Using social media, she reached out to one of the other long-standing influential men in Audrey's life—Philadelphia Eagles Player Anthony Harris. The family had been fans of Harris' for years, following his career and often sending encouraging comments his way.
Holly told outlets she knew her request was likely to go nowhere.:
"It's kind of far-fetched...it's a big ask. I just asked if he would come, if he'd be willing to come. And he said, 'not only will I come, I want to make sure she feels like a princess.' "
But her Hail Mary play worked!
Harris, moved by the story and the family's constant kindness, agreed to take Audrey to her daddy-daughter dance.
He then he proceeded to do so much more than that.
Not only did he fly in and get dressed up for her dance, he kept his word to make sure she felt like a princess. Harris paid for a fancy dress, a glam squad to do her hair and makeup, shoes, a hired car and driver to pick her up and a photographer to capture it all.
He also made sure to stop in and visit Audrey's brother, Jackson, who was thrilled to know he wasn't forgotten in all of this.
"It made me feel really happy and feel special because he didn't only come over just to go to the 'Daddy-Daughter Dance' with Audrey, he came over to see me, too."
Audrey didn't know her mother was going to reach out.
In fact, she only found out about things a week before the dance—which, according to her, added to the nerves. She told media outlets that she spent the week leading up to the dance feeling nervous—but not necessarily about meeting one of her childhood heroes.
She had a whole other concern.
"I was kind of worried all week that I was going to mess up dancing."
NBC Philadelphia 10 covered the story, sharing some special moments of the evening.
This heartwarming story about kindness and compassion hit Twitter right in the feels.
As for Harris, he has taken a humble stance on things and doesn't see himself as a hero.
"I'm just trying to be, you know, a human - trying to take off the helmet, trying to take off the cape of what I do professionally and show some sympathy for that family; try to show some support there."
Harris and the family are encouraging people to cherish the little things and enjoy time with those they love.
@mehcadbrooks/Threads