Taevion Norris, with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, finishes schooling at West Leyden High while waiting for a heart transplant at Lurie Children’s.

CHICAGO (WLS) — A special graduation was held at Lurie Children’s Hospital on Wednesday.

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Earlier this year, Taevion Norris was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, also known as DMD.

His teachers were the first to inform his mother about Norris struggling in gym class, which led to an official diagnosis after consulting a specialist at Lurie’s.

Dr. Katheryn Gambetta, a pediatric cardiologist at Lurie’s, explained, “It begins with skeletal muscle weakness that then advances to respiratory and cardiac muscle weakness.”

Doctors said DMD led his heart to go into failure. Now, the 18-year-old is waiting for a new heart.

However, hospital staff wanted to make sure he had a proper high school graduation.

Dressed in full cap and gown, Norris was handed his hard-earned diploma from West Leyden High School in Northlake.

During the graduation ceremony, his principal expressed, “It is with great honor that, on behalf of the board of education of Leyden High School District 212, I present you with your diploma from West Lyden High School.”

“We are so incredibly blessed to have you be part of our lives because you truly make us a better human, as well,” said Jim Powers, assistant principal at West Leyden High School.

“He’s still here and he was able to graduate and I’m so happy because I thought he wasn’t going to make it but he made it and today he graduated and I’m so happy,” mother Tainica Norris said.

Doctors are hoping he’ll receive the heart transplant in the next couple of weeks.