The ceremony was a surprise.
Stevee Candrl wanted her father Mike to attend her high school graduation ceremony, but knew that might not be possible. After beating prostate cancer in 2013, he was diagnosed again with cancer of the bile duct. He was told he had six months left to live, but has been fighting cancer for over a year now, PEOPLE reports. Stevee is the youngest in her family and Mike has already seen most of her siblings get married and have grandchildren; he hoped to see Stevee receive her high school diploma.
Some family members weren't sure if Mike would make it to Stevee's graduation in May, so they organized an early graduation ceremony this winter.
"My mom emailed my principal and teachers and they took the ball and ran with it," Stevee, who attends Lakota West High School in West Chester, Ohio, told PEOPLE. "Since all of my siblings are older and four out of five are married, it was really special for me to have him there for at least one life milestone as he's going to miss so many other ones of mine."
They told Mike the ceremony was just an award ceremony, so the real meaning behind the day was a surprise. Lakota West High School also presented the Candrl family with a graduation cake to show their support.
"To be able to have that day with him there meant the world to me," Stevee told PEOPLE. "It made the thought of me going through life without him a little more bearable since he had at least seen me graduate. I cannot thank everyone enough who made it possible."