A graduation miracle - Tyler Longview walks to receive her diploma

Friends and family of a wheelchair-bound Michigan teen got a special surprise at her high school graduation this weekend.

For a few brief moments, she walked across the stage to receive her diploma, just like everyone else.

Angeline Lavasseur is used to being a little bit different than everyone else-the 18 year old grew up in wheelchair after being born with spina bifida, a degenerative disorder where the vertebrae doesn't form right.

She says, "Just being physically different from everybody it's a challenge, because you have to do things differently."

She's done things differently from her classmates for the past 12 years, until this weekend.

Levasseur was just like every other teenager graduating from Pinckney high school.

"I'm walking when I get my diploma."

For the first time, he friends and classmates would get to see her walk.

A friend says, "I'm going to be so happy for her. She's gone through a lot through life, and she's worked very hard so I think she deserves to walk at her graduation, so it's going to be phenomenal."

And it was. Lavasseur walked across the stage by herself. With a brace underneath her gown and crutches supporting her arms, she left the wheelchair behind the stage and more than ever, felt just like everyone else.

"Just because I'm in a chair, I still fit in. I still do everything everyone else does."

"If I can get through it with the challenge that I've got, there's no reason that anyone else can can't do it."

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Angeline Lavasseur
• wheelchair
• Spina Bifida
• High School Graduation
• Pinckney High School
• Leg Braces
• AFO
• KYTX CBS 19