Columbiana awards surprise diploma to cancer patient
COLUMBIANA — In 1982, Candice (Oesch) Downie was just a half-credit shy of earning her diploma from Columbiana High School.
Thirty-five years later she was able to receive that diploma thanks to the efforts of her husband, Jim Downie, and school administration.
Mr. Downie reached out to the board of education shortly after his wife was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer, hoping to fulfill her lifelong wish of having her diploma.
The diagnosis was made the day before Christmas of 2016, and the family was told the 11 tumors on her liver and a tumor on her pancreas were inoperable and she only had four weeks to live.
Mrs. Downie has undergone four chemotherapy treatments and is scheduled to complete six more before a PET scan.
On Tuesday, she was brought to the high school in the belief that she needed to meet with the school to discuss her son, James Downie, who is a junior.
Unbeknownst to her, Mr. Downie had drafted a letter to the school board through the help of the local library explaining the circumstances and asking that she be awarded her diploma.
When they arrived at the school, not only was she presented with the diploma, but she was also given a cap and gown and a tassel.
“Those people went so far out of their way. They presented her with a totally official diploma … she is the most happiest person on the planet right now,” Mr. Downie said. “They could have turned it down but they just thought that it was the first time anybody had ever did that. They just treated us like royalty the whole time. I am really so proud of the Columbiana school board.”
Mrs. Downie said she felt having her diploma was important for her to be a role model to her son.
This is actually the second time Mrs. Downie, who turned 53 on Jan. 14, has been diagnosed with cancer.
In 2008 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but beat it through chemo treatments only, her husband said.
She has taken the rounds of chemo for this cancer well, he added, although she did lose her hair through the process. As a result, Mr. Downie said he plans to shave his head and trim his beard to show his support.
“She is hanging in there and she is so strong,” he said.
The couple live in Columbiana and have been together for 26 years.
kwhite@mojonews.com