vlog

Skip to content
NOWCAST vlog News
Coming up Soon
Advertisement

Teenager with rare condition kept off graduation stage

Teenager with rare condition kept off graduation stage
WEBVTT REMEMBER WHAT HIS HS FRIENDS ANDCLASSMATES DID ON GRADUATIONNIGHT.>> I WISH I COULD HAVE WALKEDBUT IT WAS GREAT ALL MY FRIENDSCAME THROUGH, A FRIEND GAVE MEHIS DIPLOMA.MARY: THE STONEHAM CLASS OF 2017GAVE HIM A STADING OVATION LASTFRIDAY WHEN HIS NAME WAS READOUT, EVEN THOUGH HIS PRINCIPALMADE HIM SIT IN THE BACK ROW,DIDN'T ALLOW HIM TO WALK THESTAGE EVEN FOR A HANDSHAKE.>> IT SHOWED HER WHAT WAS WRONGAND SHOWED ME THAT I HAVESUPPORT AROUND ME.UNDERSTAND THAT HE WAS NOTEXPECTING A DIPLOMA BECAUSEWHILE HE'S FINISHED HIS CORE, COURSES AND PASSED THE MCAS,HE STILL HAS TO TAKE A FEW MOREELECTIVES TO FORMALLY GRADUATE.AND EVEN GETTING THIS FAR, HASBEEN NO EASY FEAT.YOU SEE, CONNOR SUFFERS FROM ARARE NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERCALLED KLEINE-LEVIN SYNDROME,ALSO KNOWN AS SLEEPING BEAUTYSYNDROME BECAUSE IT ISCHARACTERIZED BY EXCESSIVESLEEPING, SOMETIME FOR DAYS ORWEEKS AT A TIME.CONNOR WAS DIAGNOSED AT AGE 12.WE FIRST MET HIS FAMILY 4 YEARSAGO.HE'S SEEN THE BEST DOCTORS,RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NO CURE.>> HE COULD NOT CONTROL WHEN HEWOKE UP.HE HAS MISSED BIRTHDAY PARTIES,CHRISTMAS, BUT HE HASN'T DONESCHOOL YEAR ROUND.HE HAS WORKED HIS TAIL OFF.MARIA THE SCHOOL DID SENT THE: FAMILY A CONTRACT SAYINGCONNOR COULD ATTEND GRADUATION,HAVE HIS NAME LISTED ANDANNOUNCED AS AN ANTICIPATEDGRADUATE.BUT HE COULD NOT WALK THE STAG>> I DO NOT KNOW IF THEY EVERBELIEVED THE DISEASE.VERY FEW PEOPLE HAVE IT AND ITIS SO RARE.IT WAS HARD FOR THEM TO WRAPTHEIR HEAD AROUND IT.MARY: I REACHED OUT TO THERENTABLE AND SUPERINTENDENTS OFSCHOOLS.
Advertisement
Teenager with rare condition kept off graduation stage
Because of his rare illness, Connor Dirks has been mostly home-schooled the past 4 years, but when he did report to high school for his commencement-- he got a life lesson he'll never forget.

Because of his rare illness, Connor Dirks has been mostly home-schooled the past 4 years, but when he did report to high school for his commencement-- he got a life lesson he'll never forget.

Advertisement

Related Content