Doylestown teens keep childhood prom pact after 7 years of friendship

Doylestown teens fulfill 7-year-old promise to attend prom together

Two childhood friends in Doylestown honored a pact made at age 10 to attend prom together, celebrating a lasting friendship through significant life challenges.

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. - Two childhood friends are heading to prom together after making a promise in fourth grade that they would not spend the night alone.

A friendship that started in second grade

What we know:

Kate Schwarz and Declan Rose have been friends since they were 10, and they made a pact to go to prom together if they did not have dates. 

Seven years later, they kept that promise.

Declan Rose said, "I got to ask my best friend Kate to prom which is just so cool. We've been friends since second grade so I've known her a long time and I feel like I couldn't ask anyone better to go to prom with."

Rose surprised Schwarz with a box of her favorite doughnuts for the promposal. "She's all about her sweets," said Rose. Schwarz added, "Yes I am a doughnut person."

Their families remember when the pair first met. 

"When he and Katie met he was the biggest in the class and Katie was the smallest. We thought it was such a mismatched duo and they just made it work," said Patti Rose.

Schwarz was born with primordial dwarfism and later diagnosed with Moya Moya, a rare brain disease that has led to lifelong health battles. "She has brain aneurysms, which we knew, but then they started to get bigger so they had to be taken care of. It was scary of course, but she's always prevailed. She always comes out and people are like, are you sure she just had brain surgery?" said Colleen Schwarz.

The two friends have supported each other through many challenges, vacationing together, performing in plays, and spending time at arcades.

The backstory:

Declan Rose said, "We try to do as much as we can to stay together. We have an awesome bond, even when I'm too busy or she's going through stuff, we are just still there for each other."

Schwarz said, "I enjoy having him, he's a good friend. And he cares about me, that's all, anything a person could ask for." She added, "If anyone is going to mess with him, I'm the first one who's going to come and rescue him no matter what."

Their families say the friendship is special. "The two of them together, she has such a pure heart and he's so kind. I think they just really get each other," said Patti Rose.

Rose reflected on their friendship, saying, "I think it's great, friends come and go, I feel like everyone learns that in high school, but I've had Kate this whole time, and it's awesome to have a friend that you can rely on and will always be there for you."

Schwarz’s mother said, "She doesn't realize it, but she does bring light that she doesn't know she's doing."

The story of Kate and Declan shows how a simple promise can lead to a lasting friendship and a memorable prom night.