GREENVILLE, SC _ Tabitha Clayton wasn't expected to live past the age of 3. But recently, the Upstate 18-year-old accepted her high school diploma at a ceremony held just for her, after a recent hospitalization kept her from attending her school's graduation.
Clayton was born with congenital brain abnormalities and has complex medical needs that sometimes require hospitalization, according to Greenville Health System. She wasn't expected to live past the age of 3, according to FOX Carolina.
So when a recent hospitalization kept Clayton from attending her high school graduation, the staff at Greenville Health System Children's Hospital stepped in and put together a special ceremony just for Clayton, who wore a cap and gown, monogrammed with her initials.
A playroom at the hospital was decorated with balloons and cake, according to The Greenville News. Clayton was escorted into the room in her wheelchair by her longtime physician and "King," the hospital's newest therapy dog, who was wearing his own matching graduation cap.
"She didn't get to have a lot of the normal childhood experiences growing up," said Clayton's mother, Tina Clayton. "This is something special we can do just for her."
Clayton's diploma was presented to her by Teshia Hair, principal of McCarthy Teszler School in Spartanburg, which provides services to students with disabilities from Spartanburg County school districts.
"Tabitha, like any teenager, deserves to have life's big moments celebrated with all the fanfare possible," said Dr. Arun Singh, medical director of the hospital's pediatric supportive care. "She brings great joy to her friends and family, as they do to her. The medical staff at GHS Children's Hospital are honored and proud to be a small part of her big day."
