Family, Metro High School Work Together To Grant Grandmother’s Dying Wish

A family goes above and beyond to grant their dying grandmother her last wish.

Marlee McLaughlin, a senior at Bethany High School, shared one last milestone with her grandmother before she passed away.

Reta McLaughlin, Marlee’s grandmother, worked on building a strong bond with her since she was a baby.

“Marlee was the only granddaughter and they were just tight. From Day 1, she was just her world,” Scott McLaughlin, Marlee’s father, said.

After countless hours spent at grandma’s house and years of leading their family, Scott said his late mother was their rock. 

“She was the best mom a guy could have,” Scott McLaughlin said. “It takes a village to raise a kid and she was all of our village.”

In 2016, Reta beat colon cancer after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation only for it to return a second time.

“She just couldn’t recover from it,” Scott said. “There was just so much scar tissue and everything from the previous issues.”

Doctors told Scott and his siblings that their mother’s days were numbered.

“We knew things had totally turned and that she was definitely not going to make it. She would tell every doctor or nurse ‘I just want to make it to graduation,’” McLaughlin said.

Scott reached out to Bethany High School to make Reta's wish a reality.

“Marlee will soon meet all of the requirements for graduation. It is my privilege and honor to recommend Marlee for graduation,” Bethany High School principal Mark Melton said during a special graduation ceremony at the hospital. “As a symbol of your graduation from Bethany High School, you may now move your tassel to the left.”

“I’ve…I’ve never seen somebody's last wish granted. Til then,” Scott said.

Reta denied pain medication so she could be fully aware for the moment.

“Thirty, fourth minutes after they had to sedate her…and so that was the last time we got to talk to her that she was coherent,” Scott McLaughlin said.

Three days later, Reta passed away surrounded by her loved ones. She had just turned 76 years old.

The family are also very grateful to the school for supporting them during a difficult time.