WEBVTT REMEMBER WHAT HIS HS FRIENDS ANDCLASSMATES DID ON GRADUATIONNIGHT.>> I WISH I COULD HAVE WALKEDBUT IT WAS GREAT ALL MY FRIENDSCAME THROUGH, A FRIEND GAVE MEHIS DIPLOMA.MARY: THE STONEHAM CLASS OF 2017GAVE HIM A STADING OVATION LASTFRIDAY WHEN HIS NAME WAS READOUT, EVEN THOUGH HIS PRINCIPALMADE HIM SIT IN THE BACK ROW,DIDN'T ALLOW HIM TO WALK THESTAGE EVEN FOR A HANDSHAKE.>> IT SHOWED HER WHAT WAS WRONGAND SHOWED ME THAT I HAVESUPPORT AROUND ME.UNDERSTAND THAT HE WAS NOTEXPECTING A DIPLOMA BECAUSEWHILE HE'S FINISHED HIS CORE, COURSES AND PASSED THE MCAS,HE STILL HAS TO TAKE A FEW MOREELECTIVES TO FORMALLY GRADUATE.AND EVEN GETTING THIS FAR, HASBEEN NO EASY FEAT.YOU SEE, CONNOR SUFFERS FROM ARARE NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERCALLED KLEINE-LEVIN SYNDROME,ALSO KNOWN AS SLEEPING BEAUTYSYNDROME BECAUSE IT ISCHARACTERIZED BY EXCESSIVESLEEPING, SOMETIME FOR DAYS ORWEEKS AT A TIME.CONNOR WAS DIAGNOSED AT AGE 12.WE FIRST MET HIS FAMILY 4 YEARSAGO.HE'S SEEN THE BEST DOCTORS,RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NO CURE.>> HE COULD NOT CONTROL WHEN HEWOKE UP.HE HAS MISSED BIRTHDAY PARTIES,CHRISTMAS, BUT HE HASN'T DONESCHOOL YEAR ROUND.HE HAS WORKED HIS TAIL OFF.MARIA THE SCHOOL DID SENT THE: FAMILY A CONTRACT SAYINGCONNOR COULD ATTEND GRADUATION,HAVE HIS NAME LISTED ANDANNOUNCED AS AN ANTICIPATEDGRADUATE.BUT HE COULD NOT WALK THE STAG>> I DO NOT KNOW IF THEY EVERBELIEVED THE DISEASE.VERY FEW PEOPLE HAVE IT AND ITIS SO RARE.IT WAS HARD FOR THEM TO WRAPTHEIR HEAD AROUND IT.MARY: I REACHED OUT TO THERENTABLE AND SUPERINTENDENTS OFSCHOOLS.