Graduation ceremonies are always emotional, but this one moved everyone well beyond the usual bittersweet sniffles.
Stephanie Northcott of Ripley, Tennessee, is on her deathbed. The mother of two has been battling cancer since 2014, and she has now exhausted her treatment options. As you’d expect, Stephanie is filled with sadness to leave behind her loving family.
She never dreamed she’d miss out on all of the big moments in her children’s lives, but she’s doing her best to find peace in her situation.
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Stephanie had always been a very involved mother, so as her final days draw near, she told everyone about the one thing she hopes to be able to see before she dies: her oldest son’s high school graduation.
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Dalton Jackson is a senior at Hall High School, an active member of the football team, and a well-liked student who always tries to do the right thing. With his mother on his deathbed, the student was determined to find a way to fulfill her dying wish, but there was no way they could move her in her delicate condition. Doctors also doubted Stephanie would live another two weeks to see Dalton’s big day.
So they decided to bring the graduation to her.
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Hall High School officials worked with Memphis at Baptist East hospital to arrange for a special ceremony for Stephanie. Two weeks before the rest of Dalton’s class walked down the aisle to accept their hard-earned diplomas, the school set up a makeshift ceremony in the hospital’s chapel.
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The room was filled with friends, school staff members, and family who were there to support Dalton and say goodbye to Stephanie. Several of Dalton’s football teammates showed up, in uniform, to pay their respects.
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Julie Northcott, a relative of Stephanie’s, filmed the ceremony and live-streamed the event to Facebook. Stephanie was overjoyed as she looked around at the loving faces standing vigil by her hospital bed. You can feel the love of this community straight through the video, and we’re certain that Stephanie felt comforted by the fact that her son will be surrounded by love and support after she passes away.
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As the traditional “Pomp and Circumstance” graduation song plays, Dalton walks down the chapel aisle wearing his cap and gown. Hall Principal Suzanne Keefe leads the diploma ceremony. Her voice quivers with emotion as she tells the room:
“As you can see this is a very special place, and this is a very special young man. So by the authority given to me by the department of education and the state of Tennessee, I pronounce Dalton Christopher Jackson a graduate of the class of 2018.”
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“I’m so happy,” Stephanie says immediately, and cheers erupt from the attendees.
After Dalton throws his cap in the air exuberantly, the crowd gathers around Stephanie’s bedside to speak with her for the last time. It’s rare to have the chance to say a proper goodbye to someone in this manner, and Stephanie seems to recognize how fortunate she is to have this time with her loved ones.
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It’s always tragic to lose a mother, especially one this young, but we hope Dalton and his brother take solace in the fact that their mother got to see this one last rite of passage while she was still here on earth.
Congratulations, Dalton.
Watch the emotional video below, and please share to send your thoughts and prayers to Stephanie, Dalton, and their entire circle of family and friends.
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