In an incredibly emotional speech, 18-yr-old Jake Bailey from Christchurch in New Zealand spoke about receiving news last week that he had Burkitts non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a very fast growing and aggressive form of cancer.
Jake’s medical team estimate he has about three weeks to live and now faces a series of chemotherapy. At the start of the year Jake was named senior monitor at Christchurch Boys’ High School – a position similar to president of a student council or head boy.
After his diagnosis, doctors said Jake would be too ill to continue his duties as head student, but Jake was determined to defy the doctors and the odds to continue as head student.
Here is one of the most incredible speeches you will ever listen to, it’s 18 minutes long, but please listen to it in its entirety: