Prom is a special event for juniors and seniors where they get dressed up, go to nice restaurants, take lots of pictures and enjoy the night with all their friends. However, this year prom had a different, but special, twist for some people.

Senior MeKayla Gist’s battle against cancer kept her from getting to Swofford this year for prom, however it didn’t stop her from getting the experience. This year, Gist’s friends took prom to her and crowned her 2017 Prom Queen.

“As a senior, I know how important my last prom is,” senior Gabbi Foster said. “We felt like, as a a class, we needed to come together so she wouldn’t miss out on one of the best nights of her life.”

The surprise was certainly important to Gist, but it also touched everyone who delivered the prom to her.

“There was nothing I wanted more than to see her celebrate her senior prom,” senior Kinzie Sellars said. “The fact we got to make that happen made my night better than I ever thought possible.”

Sellars said the night was an emotional one.

“I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room when MeKayla, the 2017 prom queen, came into the room,” Sellars said.

While Gist’s battle with cancer is a heartbreaking story, her friends say that MeKayla doesn’t let it come off in that way and that they’ve learned so much from her.

“Her strength has spoke volumes for the person that she is,” Sellars said. “She keeps a smile on her face and she brings a smile to other people’s faces.”

“I have realized that the trials I face can be a blessing to others,” Foster said. “It has made me realize that I need to live life to the fullest instead of holding back because of a minor obstacle.”

For Sellars, prom with MeKayla is a night that she, and others, will never forget:

“She’s our backbone and our inspiration to never give up. I’m so thankful we got to make her prom night, and ours as well — one we will never forget.”