“I just want to thank God! It is great to be alive,” said Balaal Hollings.
Balaal Hollings, of Southfield, Michigan had a bright future ahead of him. He was an honor student, a football star, and president of both the student council and senior class at Northwestern High School. But on April 6, all of that was almost destroyed when he tried to break up a fight at a party and was shot in the head for his effort.
According to ABC Action News, Balaal was unable to return to school to finish the last 2 months of his senior year. However, he did have enough credits to graduate. So it was a wonderful surprise to his classmates when he walked out onto the stage during their graduation ceremony on Tuesday and the Millenium Centre in Southfield.
Before the ceremony Balaal told ABC, “They don’t know I’m coming. They think I’m dilapidated.” And when he walked out onto the stage the truth of his statement became clear. He was greeted by “screams, cries, tears, and lots of applause.”
Watch the moving video above.