FORT WORTH, Texas — Kaley Banuelos had been enjoying her senior year at Billy Ryan High School in Denton when she was diagnosed with leukemia about a month ago.

“I was not expecting to end senior year this way,” said the 19-year-old, who has since called Harris Tower at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth home while she undergoes chemotherapy.

When staff in the hospital’s Interventional Radiology department learned Banuelos was going to have to miss her graduation ceremony, they pondered how they could bring the ceremony to her. Lindsay Schofield, B.S.N., R.N., called the oncology floor charge nurse with their notion, and the idea quickly took flight.

“A couple days later, I got a huge influx of emails from people I didn’t even know that were so willing to help and excited,” Schofield said. “It was going to be something little and kind of cheesy just to try to make her smile, and it turned into this really big celebration for her.”

A day before what would have been her school graduation, Banuelos was summoned from her hospital room into the hallway, where Schofield helped her put on a red graduation cap and gown. As “Pomp and Circumstance” played and caregivers and staff applauded and cheered her on, a surprised Banuelos walked down the hospital hallway to a decorated waiting room where cupcakes and gifts awaited her.

“I’ve never experienced anything like that,” Banuelos said of the surprise graduation ceremony. “I just felt so much love and strength and I just knew I’m going to get through this. I’ve got this.”

Banuelos’ mother, Brandi Corcoran, gets emotional when talking about the kind gesture of caregivers and staff.

“You just don’t expect this to happen to your baby. And what they did for her, it was very special, and I can’t thank them enough for giving that to her, because she was going to miss out and she didn’t,” Corcoran said through tears.

The ceremony was indeed a group effort.

Carrie Pape, a senior administrative assistant for nursing operations and oncology, helped spread the word among fellow AAs around the hospital. Before long, other departments were chipping in for gifts, writing notes of encouragement and congratulations and lending a hand.

“I remember my graduation still to this day, and that was a long time ago,” Pape said. “This will hopefully keep in her memory for a long time and definitely be something she can smile back on.”

Schofield said the ceremony gave her and others a chance “to take a step back and remember why you became a nurse — to take care of patients.”

“She had the biggest smile. It was a really good day,” Schofield said. “It’s what healthcare is about.”