HHS senior defies the odds, graduates
Hahnville High School’s graduating class of 2009 and all of the family, friends and faculty became witness to a most memorable and heartfelt moment. When the last graduate, Donovan Jacob O’Neil, was called onto the stage for his Certificate of Achievement, the entire auditorium honored him with a standing ovation.
To some, Donovan was “that boy in the wheelchair.” To a great many of others, he is Donovan Jacob O’Neil – a boy with cerebral palsy that overcame many obstacles in his 22 years of life to be there for that very special evening on May 19.
Donovan is the son of Tim and Teresa O’Neil, and the brother of Molly and Samantha. Donovan is also a person that was not expected to be on this earth for his own graduation.
On March 27, Donovan had open heart surgery to remove fluid from around his heart. He had been in the hospital for two weeks and was being treated with very potent antibiotics for a severe bacterial infection throughout his system.
A CT scan of his chest displayed fluid filling his left lung and fluid throughout the pericardium around his heart. The fluid surrounding the heart had to be removed before it prevented his heart from functioning. The heart surgeon told the family that he would try a simple procedure, but more than likely, he would have to open the sternum to assure the removal of all the segmented fluid in the pericardium.
Donovan’s parents and close family members could only pray, that God would show his compassion and take him in His arms if need be. If Donovan had fulfilled his journey on this earth, they completely understood. Donovan went in for emergency surgery at 9:45 p.m. that evening and finished at midnight. He was placed in the surgical recovery unit until Monday morning. The staff then transferred him to CCU at 4:30 am. Teresa, Donovan’s mother, walked into his room that morning and found her beautiful boy smiling back at her. Her tearful response, “Oh Donovan!!! I guess you really do want to go to graduation!!” Donovan continued his recovery in CCU. He was sent home two weeks and two days later.
On May 19 at 6:30 p.m. The phone rings at the O’Neil residence. Teresa answers, “Hello.” The voice responds, “Mrs. O’Neil, this is Mr. Crochet. I am at the Alario Center. You can head over here now.” She hangs up the phone, proceeds with getting Donovan ready and putting him in his wheelchair. She then loads him into the van and drives to the center. When pulling into the parking lot, Rita Rivault (Donovan’s retired teacher for 7 of the last 8 years) is waiting in her vehicle. The awaiting faculty then leads them to reserved parking spaces.
One space conveniently located next to a wheelchair ramp. The teary-eyed faculty, watches patiently as the star graduate is unloaded from his van. Donovan is then escorted to his reserved spot with his fellow graduates. His family and close friends are thrilled to see him there.
The moment he has been waiting for has arrived. Mrs. Rita wheels him up the ramp while his mom takes pictures of his smiling face going onto the stage. The speaker announces, “Donovan Jacob O’Neil”. A few screams of enthusiasm from his close friends and family reverberate from different parts of the auditorium, electrifying the crowd.
The compassionate audience then proceeds to stand, row by row. They clap and cheer for “that boy in the wheelchair.” They are inadvertently overwhelmed by his accomplishment. They are entranced by his all-knowing smile. They are grateful to be a part of such a magnificent moment. They can feel the connection of his life to their own. Their hearts have been touched by “that boy in the wheelchair.” That boy who almost didn’t make it to his own graduation. That boy -that son, that brother, that grandson, that nephew -Donovan Jacob O’Neil.
May this moment have inspired you to move forward, no matter the difficulty. May this moment cause you to show compassion in your everyday life. May this moment bring a tear of joy to your eye whenever you reflect upon it. May this moment be shared by all those who were witness to that smiling boy in the wheelchair.
Thank you, to the incredible doctors and nurses that so vigilantly cared for Donovan through his most recent hospital stay. Thank you, Hahnville High School students and faculty and St. Charles Parish School Board members for accommodating Donovan’s special needs for the last 8 years and for his final glorious graduation.
Thanks to all of our special friends and family members, for all the love, support, thoughts and prayers that helped bring us to this delightful day. Thank you, God, for giving Donovan this spectacular evening in the spotlight.
Submitted by Teresa O’Neil.
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