Lurie Children's Hospital patient awaiting new heart graduates from West Leyden High School in cardiac unit
Taevion Norris is a patient at Lurie Children's Hospital, waiting for a heart transplant, but the hospital and his school made sure he wouldn't miss his high school graduation.
Norris is a senior at West Leyden High School in North Lake, and the school brought the graduation ceremony to him Wednesday morning.
"It's like a sigh of relief," he said.
He donned his cap and gown, and was saluted by doctors, nurses and other families at the hospital during his graduation ceremony in the cardiac care unit.
Norris has been at Lurie Children's Hospital since March 11 due to heart failure. His principal at West Leyden High School, Nick Polyak, handed Norris his diploma, and his family was there to celebrate as well.
His mother, Tainica Norris, said in 2019 his gym teacher noticed Traevion was moving at a slower pace. She said he's been in and out of Lurie Children's Hospital for years after being diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive muscle-wasting disease that primarily affects boys.
"You're giving so many people so much hope and I'm amazed by your resilience," pediatric cardiologist Katrhyn Gambetta told Traevion at his graduation.
Norris was reluctant to go back to the hospital as his heart began to decline.
"He was like, 'Ugh. Ok, ma. I don't want to be here,'" his mother said. "That's all he kept saying, 'I don't want to be here,' but I said, 'They're helping you. They're going to help you live.' Now he's still here and he was able to graduate and I'm so happy."
His graduation left his mom speechless, a goal Norris said he was set on achieving.
"Because of everything I went through, and she wants me to be, like, happy and all that," he said.
Now the family is just praying his next accomplishment will be recovering from a successful heart transplant.
His mother said Norris was put on a transplant list on May 1.
