Article by Lisbeth Hunter, RYOT News
Kennedy Brown is just a freshman at Carnegie Vanguard High School in Houston, Texas. But she’s miles ahead of some seniors, ’cause she’s already gone to the prom and graduated.
For over two years, Kennedy’s been fighting inoperable brain cancer. Recently, when the tumor in her brain started to grow, she was forced to leave school. But her classmates didn’t let her absence go unnoticed. Students at Carnegie Vanguard banded together with school staff members to set up a prom just for Kennedy.
They got in touch with Kennedy’s favorite basketball team, the Houston Rockets. The team’s mascot, Clutch, traveled to the school with T-shirts and other gifts sent by star player Dwight Howard.
The students set up an assembly with more than 600 students, where Clutch surprised Kennedy in front of the crowd.
At the assembly, the teen got to cross items (like pieing a teacher in the face!) off her high school bucket list.
Afterwards, her friends escorted her to a smaller prom event in another building.
There, Kennedy was crowned prom queen, and she and her friends took touching, memorable photos together.
After the dance was over, Kennedy moved on to the graduation ceremony, where Carnegie Vanguard awarded the star student, who’d been taking almost all AP courses, an honorary degree.
Even after such a crazy, awesome day, Kennedy’s still got a lot to look forward to. Since she’s a huge fan of Drake, her amazing friend network Tweeted at the singer with hashtag #DrakeForKen. Now there are rumors that Drake might record a personalized music video in her honor.
Kennedy’s father, Tony Brown, said that his daughter was more energized on the day of the assembly than she’d been in some time. He added that, in two devastating years of illness, Kennedy always refused to let the disease define her.
“Not once did she complain and she never wanted to be treated any differently than any of the other kids,” Tony Brown told Good Morning America. “It was a shock to many of the kids that she had been going through treatment.”
It’s hard to accept that such a driven, talented young person could be nearing the end. But the degree of love and friendship Kennedy’s classmates showed her is incredible to see in today’s world, and it’s a heartfelt reminder of what we’re all capable of.
Source: [RYOT News]
Images Source: [Good Morning America]
