Teen with cerebral palsy wins homecoming, then walks

FLORIDA

And what he did next on the football field amazed everyone.

Senior Hakam Daley was watching the Centennial High School homecoming game from the stands, in his wheelchair. His caretaker, Chris, is a football coach who helps him get in and out of the car and carries his book bag at school.

Life hasn't been easy for Hakam. He was put up for adoption and has been in and out of foster homes for most of his life. But one thing he does have is a big smile and lots of friends who nominated him to be homecoming king.

"When I heard the message, I had no words to describe," friend and cheerleader Kayla Donohue said. "I was so happy inside."

Donohue secretly rallied up the senior class and got them to put his name on the homecoming court.

"It just shows how we can come together and make a special person have a special moment he'll remember for the rest of his life," she said.

A nervous Hakam lined up with the other nominees - football stars and popular kids - rolling his wheelchair right out onto the field.

And when they called his name as a nominee, he had a surprise for everybody in the crowd, walking publicly for the very first time.

Then, they announced the winner, the homecoming king, and the students had a surprise right back..

Wheelchair or not, Hakam Daley is the most popular kid at his high school.

---

Get Eyewitness News Delivered

Facebook | Twitter | Newsletters | Text Alerts

Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.