High school graduation is a proud moment that many parents look forward to sharing with their children. For Gail Mayo, facing the final stages of a six-year battle with cancer, the dream of seeing her daughter Erika graduate seemed to be slipping away until Massey-Vanier High School organized a special bedside ceremony last week, helping Mayo’s wish come true. “They gave us this gift,” Mayo said, grateful to the school for the extraordinary gesture. “It was very thoughtful. That was my last wish,” she said. Mayo received a diagnosis of breast cancer on June 26, 2012. She was 43-years-old at the time. “I’ve been fighting since then,” she said, explaining that the cancer metastasised almost immediately. She has been undergoing treatment every three weeks since her diagnosis. From the time she realised her life would be cut short, Mayo maintained a goal of seeing her two children, Zackary and Erika, graduate from High School. Zackary, now 19, is currently studying at McGill. Erika, 16, is in her final year at MVHS. “I don’t know if I’ll make it until May,” Mayo said, pointing out that she learned recently that the cancer spread to her brain, causing paralysis below the breast bone. Kathy Harris-Miltimore, who works at MVHS, was aware of Mayo’s struggle. “It’s so difficult to express in words. That was her wish. That’s all she wanted,” Harris-Miltimore said. See full story in the Thursday, April 5th edition of The Record.
MVHS rallies for special grad ceremony
