Grade 9 class travels 230 km to bring grad party to P.E.I. teen in Halifax hospital

Fifteen-year-old Lauchlan McCabe is going to miss his Grade 9 graduation later this month because he is undergoing treatment for leukemia at the IWK Health Centre. 

But his class wasn’t going to let him graduate without a proper ceremony. 

That’s why his schoolmates and teacher travelled some 230 kilometres to Halifax from rural P.E.I. to celebrate the end of junior high with him at the children’s hospital. 

“It was pretty cool,” said McCabe. “Different, but really cool.”

McCabe, who was recently diagnosed with leukemia, said he was surprised to see that some of his friends had shaved their heads in solidarity. He also received snacks and a plush toy as graduation gifts. 

His teacher, Paige Richards, helped co-ordinate the one-day visit alongside hospital staff and the principal and vice-principal of Vernon River Consolidated School.

Last Thursday, Richards, the school’s vice-principal, and a parent hit the road bright and early with 14 students — nearly the entire class — and made the drive to Halifax some three hours and 40 minutes away.

“It was one of the hardest things for me to see because they knew that over the last couple of weeks, Lauchie wasn’t doing well. They knew he was sick,” said Richards, recalling the morning the school told the students about their classmate’s illness.  

But once the day came to see McCabe, she said her students “made it so natural.”

“They’re fooling around, being silly, and I was just so proud of them,” said Richards.

They all gathered at a theatre inside the hospital, ordered pizza and had a small graduation ceremony, where McCabe received his Grade 9 diploma and a physical education award. 

McCabe’s mother, Janessa McCabe, said it was hard for the family to hear the diagnosis, but it helps to know what they’re up against and receive the right treatment. She said the community in P.E.I. has been incredibly supportive. Her sister and a friend have launched a GoFundMe to help the family with the cost of driving to and from Nova Scotia, where McCabe’s son will receive his first treatments.

Leukemia is a form of cancer that targets the body’s blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and the lymphatic system.

McCabe said seeing everyone show up for her son during these difficult times was really emotional. 

“You just appreciate the thought and the effort that went into it,” she said. “It was nice to just see him with his friends.”

Lauchlan McCabe said his treatment is scheduled to last at least 2½ years, but the first month is the real challenge. 

He said he’s determined to go through the treatment and looks forward to guarding the net of his hockey team, the Eastern Express, once again.