Dying Mother Sees Son Graduate at Hospital Chapel After Husband Made Promise to 'Keep Her Alive'
Graduation is a special time to celebrate the hard work a student has accomplished during his or her time in school.
High school graduations, in particular, are almost as much of an achievement for parents as it is for their student. Countless parents spend hours helping their students with their studies and getting them through school.
When a parent falls terminally ill, however, making it to the ceremony to celebrate the efforts of their student becomes even more difficult. The importance of the occasion also increases because this could be the last life event that parent gets to witness.
“Five years ago, I made a promise that I would keep her alive to see her son graduate,” Mico Castelvetere said. His wife, Beth, suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The progressive disease slowly wears down a person’s control of voluntary muscles by attacking the nerve cells. Beth has also lost her ability to speak.
Mico was finally able to keep his promise to his wife when their son Dom was scheduled to graduate from Ontario High School on Friday night.
The Castelveteres were not sure Beth would be able to make it to the ceremony, so they brought the graduation to her Thursday evening.
Around 30 people crowded into the hospital chapel including board member Todd Friend and school counselor Veronica Cain from the district as well as other staff members and teachers from Dom’s school.
“He’s a sweet, sweet boy,” Friend, who has known Dom since he was a child, said. “Life has many, many good things ahead for you.”
Cain added that all of Dom’s teachers care about him and turned to his parents and said, “I think you both have taught him amazing lessons. You’ve laid a foundation for him.”
Decked in a blue cap and gown, Dom received his diploma and then kissed his mother on the forehead.
Beth’s conditioned seemed to have worsened over the past month. According to the Mansfield News Journal, she had 350 milliliters of fluid suctioned out of her lungs this week.
After a successful pleurodesis procedure to treat her collapsed lungs and fluid build up, Beth has been cleared to attend the school’s commencement on Friday if Mico can figure out a way to get her there. From there, hopefully, she will get to finally go home.
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