'He has been working on this his whole life': Inspirational moment Oklahoma student with cerebral palsy surprises friends and walks for the FIRST time during graduation

  • Micah McDade was born with cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair but wanted to walk across the stage to receive his diploma
  • He spent months in rehabilitation in order to be able to walk
  • On Friday at graduation he surprised everyone by getting out of his chair 

By Dailymail.com Reporter

Published: 08:53 EST, 23 May 2016 | Updated: 10:14 EST, 23 May 2016

For one Oklahoma high school student, graduating took a lot more work than his classmates.

Micah McDade, a senior at Okmulgee High School who was born with cerebral palsy, decided it wasn't enough for him to just receive his diploma - he wanted to get up out of his wheelchair and physically walk across the stage.

So following months of constant practice and preparation, on Friday night the big moment came, and McDade rose to the challenge.   

Special moment: In a surprise to his classmates, McDade suddenly got up out of his wheelchair on the stage on Friday night, as everyone cheered and applauded him 

Special moment: In a surprise to his classmates, McDade suddenly got up out of his wheelchair on the stage on Friday night, as everyone cheered and applauded him 

Micah McDade, a senior at Okmulgee High School who was born with cerebral palsy, decided it wasn't enough for him to just receive his diploma - he wanted to get up out of his wheelchair and walk across the stage

Micah McDade, a senior at Okmulgee High School who was born with cerebral palsy, decided it wasn't enough for him to just receive his diploma - he wanted to get up out of his wheelchair and walk across the stage

McDade spent months in rehabilitation in order to be able to walk, but had really been preparing his whole life

McDade spent months in rehabilitation in order to be able to walk, but had really been preparing his whole life

Walking on his own: McDade has been confined to a wheelchair for as long as students could remember

Walking on his own: McDade has been confined to a wheelchair for as long as students could remember

The students and their families at Okmulgee all got up out of their seats and gave McDade a standing ovation 

The students and their families at Okmulgee all got up out of their seats and gave McDade a standing ovation 

McDade's classmates, who had never seen him get out of his chair, were not aware of what he had planned.

When his name was called, McDade wheeled himself to the stage and then, amazingly, managed to stand up. 

With the help of a walker, McDade then made it across the stage to accept his diploma, the Okmulgee News Network reported.

Screams and claps can be heard in a video of the special moment, which has been viewed almost 200,000 times. 

'Ladies and gentlemen, I've been doing this a long time,' the announcer said as McDade was helped back into his wheelchair. 

'That is the best ever!'

McDade has been working for months to be able to leave that wheelchair behind at one important moment

McDade spent months in rehabilitation getting ready for the moment, according to Okmulgee News.

His parents, Mark and Anisa McDade, said they couldn't be prouder of their son.

Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term that refers to a group of disorders affecting a person’s ability to move. It is a life-long condition. 

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