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The Middletown Journal is committed to coverage of the local community — from schools and our local history to business and news. Reporter Rick McCrabb tells the story of the people, history, places and events that make Middletown unique.
Drew James is having a week he won’t soon forget.
He now has a nickname — “King Drew” — one crown, two medals, one ribbon and a smile that may never go away. In the span of three days, James, a special needs student at Middletown High School, was named Prom King, and on Monday morning, he competed in the Middletown Special Olympics.
It’s good to be him.
“I can’t believe myself,” James said, medals dangling around his neck. “Awesome.”
It must feel like a dream. The fellow seniors at MHS voted him onto the Prom Court, and when his mother was told Tuesday night, she had to rent him a tuxedo and find him a date. He was escorted to the prom by his cousin, Sierra Campbell, 26, of West Carrollton.
Candace Lamb was crowned Prom Queen and she was “thrilled” when James was named King.
“It made his night,” she said. “Everybody loves him. He’s so cute.”
Matt Current, a Prom King candidate, said he was “very pleased” that James won.
“It was a great experience for him,” said Current, who volunteered at the Special Olympics. “We all knew he was going to win. The place went crazy.”
John Landers, coordinator of the school’s work study, said the students nominated James for Prom Court, and they were the ones who voted him King by a “landslide.”
The competition was a little stiffer in the Special Olympics, though James walked away with three awards, none as heavy or prestigious as his crown. When he finished sixth, a distant last, in one of the foot races, he asked his mother, Crystal James, why he didn’t receive a medal.
“You got a ribbon instead,” she said. “We’re still proud of you. You tried your best. You’re still a winner to me.”
The family moved to Middletown three years ago from Wilmington. When DHL closed and Wilmington lost thousands of jobs, she said, the school district eliminated some of its services and that impacted James and his opportunities. She researched area school districts, and their multi-handicapped services, and selected Middletown, a decision she never regretted.
“This is a wonderful place,” she said. “The kids and the school have put their arms around, really embraced, my son.”
When James, 21, who will graduate this year, returned home from prom, with crown in hand, he rearranged his bedroom. He considers himself royalty, a feeling fueled by his nickname.
By voting him King, his mother said, the students showed “great affection.”
James, the youngest of four children, was born with Prader-Willi syndrome, a chromosome defect that tricks his brain into believing he’s always hungry. He needs to eat, at least that’s the message from his mind, 24/7. He never feels full. He has an insatiable appetite.
“The hunger never goes away,” his mother said. “It’s very difficult on him.”
All his meals are scheduled, he’s restricted to 1,200 calories a day, and the refrigerator and cabinets are locked in the home, to deter him from sneaking snacks. He’s never eaten a “Happy Meal,” never had Friday night pizza with his family. He is 5-foot and weighs 200 pounds, his mother said.
As her son stood several feet away, waiting to compete in the long jump, his last event of the day, she was asked what she sees when she looks at him.
“That’s my life right there,” she said, chocking back tears. “If there was a ‘magic pill’ and it would make him better, I wouldn’t give it to him. People don’t believe that, but it’s true. This is who he is. That other person wouldn’t be Drew.”
That’s when James motioned for his mother.
“To know him,” she said, “is to know joy.”
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