A high school senior battling bone cancer got the surprise of a lifetime when his friends and family brought his senior ball to his hospital room.

Ilijah Barron has been battling bone cancer for 18 months. He was intrigued by the idea of going to his high school's senior dance at the Marriott hotel downtown. He had even bought a new suit just for the occasion.

Two days before the Liverpool High School Senior Ball, Barron had to return to the hospital as a result of excruciating pain that made it difficult for him to move.

“That broke him into pieces,'' said his mom, Nelisha Barron. “I decided I would try with everything in me to make him happy so he wouldn’t miss that moment. I decided it was going to happen!”

At that point, Ms. Barron called Iljah’s friends, school counselors and notified hospital staff.

On Saturday afternoon, they were able to throw together a heartwarming senior ball in the hospital. Everyone in attendance wore suits and dresses. Ilijah was moved to tears by the gesture.

"Surgery was a success … it’s going to be a long road to recovery but by the grace of God he will be okay. The whole tumor could not be removed just the portion that was hitting the spine to help release the pressure that was being applied. Praying for healing and restoration in his legs," Nelisha Barron said in a Facebook post on Monday.

Senior Ball

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