The girl who swam with the mermaids

Whatever happened to . . .

By Donna Winchester, Times Staff Writer
Published November 4, 2007

THE STORY: In spring, 18-year-old Emily McGeorge starred in The Little Mermaid at Nina Harris Exceptional Student Education Center in Pinellas Park. Emily, who has Down's syndrome, danced and sang her way into the handsome prince's heart. Her mom, Pam, couldn't help thinking: Will it be possible for a girl who still believes in Santa Claus to do the things she sees other young women doing? Will she drive a car, go to college, find love with a real-life prince? Among those who read about Emily was Robyn Anderson, general manager at Weeki Wachee Springs. Anderson called the Times: Could you let Pam know we'd like Emily to come swim with the mermaids?

FROM THE STORY: . . . The magical moment arrives. Emily's parents wait in the darkened underwater theater for the first glimpse of their daughter. "There she is!" Pam squeals. . . . As Emily bobs up and down on the spring's surface and makes fishy faces against the window, Pam and (her dad) Gordon motion for her to go under water. Finally, Mermaid Marcy holds up one finger, two fingers, three fingers. Emily squeezes her eyes shut, goes under and comes up laughing. . . . "This was the best day of my life," she says.

THE REST OF THE STORY: Emily graduated in May and told her parents she wanted to go to college. Pam learned that Pinellas Technical Education Centers accepts special ed students, so Emily has been setting her alarm for 5:15 a.m., catching the bus and attending classes. She is progressing in reading, and her math skills are improving. Her biggest challenge is dealing with students who make fun of her. "She doesn't cry, but sometimes she says she wants to go back to Nina," Pam said. "She needs to be able to defend herself, but we don't want it to be in a hateful way. We're working on that."

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: Emily will be able to stay at PTEC until she turns 23. If her reading continues to improve, she may be eligible to take driver's ed. And she has begun lobbying for an apartment of her own. The handsome young prince, Pam says, still hovers on the horizon of her mind.

[Last modified November 2, 2007, 14:17:31]