Man asks brother with Down syndrome to be best man and the reaction is too pure
This is the story of Will and Henry Joe Claussen. It’s a video that’s gone viral, racking up millions of views.
And why wouldn’t it? This is the moment when Will asked Joe, in a creative fashion, to be his best man. This was at the family’s Hackensack vacation property the family-owned for around seven years now.
Will asks Henry Joe to dig at a certain spot when Joe’s shovel hits something hard. It was a bottle with a note in it.
As they opened the note, the camera moves in to capture Will helping his brother read the note.
It said,
“Henry Joe, you are already the best bro and also the best friend. So will you please say yes to be my best man? Love Will.”
A surprised Henry Joe looks up with surprise before saying yes and jumping into his brother’s arms.
It is a special moment. Henry Joe has Down Syndrome. He loves metal detecting and that’s what gave Will the idea. Big brother decided to surprise Henry Joe on Aug. 14, only days after Henry Joe’s Aug. 12 birthday.
“Metal detecting, especially at the cabin, is one of his favorite hobbies,” Will said. “I wanted to find a way to incorporate that into the best man proposal. It just came naturally. I had this idea a while back for how I was initially going to propose to my fiance, but I just kept it in my back pocket for Henry.”
It’s a place they all love. The brothers affectionately call it the Clausen Shire, just like The Lord of the Rings.
Will proposed to his fiance, Alyssa “AJ” Johns, on July 3, using Ten Mile Lake’s perfect setting as his background.
“I brought her to our favorite bay on the lake in our boat,” Will said. “I spilled my guts to her in the bay there and there were fireworks and the stars were out and everything.”
Marriage proposals are already one of the most beautiful moments in this world, but Will made it even more special when he asked his brother to be his best man.
Will knew his brother would be happy to be asked. Henry Joe is a very happy guy and Will knew that recording his brother’s priceless reaction would make others happy.
“I’m not super shocked it went viral,” Will Clausen said. “My buddy told me it would go viral. At the same time to see it go viral was something else.”
And while the brothers hugged it out, Buddy, their golden retriever, comes running out, attracted by the happy voices of his humans. So Will got three “yeses”. One from Alyssa, one from Henry Joe, and another from Buddy!
“It was a genuine moment that captured both our real emotions and reactions,” Will said. “Henry is such a special guy that anyone who meets him loves him.”
Alyssa is a special education teacher which is what drew Will to her. Henry Joe is truly a special guy, the obvious joy on his face only secondary to this man’s beautiful heart.
“He is a role model of mine,” Will said of his brother. “But also my biggest fan and advocate.”
It’s a moment everybody loved. Henry Joe’s going to be a great uncle too!
You can watch Henry Joe’s reaction to Will’s proposal below!
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