A Woman in Labor Goes to Her College Graduation and Proves That Determination Is Everything

Kelsey Hudie is a true hero. Being 38 weeks pregnant and already in labor, she still went to her college graduation to accept her diploma and the story of her willpower went viral.

First-time mom, Kelsey Hudie, surprised everyone when she accepted her diploma while in labor. She was determined to not let the birth of her first child postpone that dream. She said in an interview later that she imagined: “Nothing is going to stop me, even if I have the baby and have to hold her in my arms.” And she did it.

To ensure everything went smoothly and the mom-to-be and the baby were fine in the end, the school’s president, Russell Kavalhuna, agreed that Kelsey should make an earlier entry onto the stage. “We’ll just seat her on stage, get her her diploma, and get her in and out,” Kavalhuna decided.

In his speech, the director said, “When we bring people through Henry Ford College, they’ve got grit. They’ve got perseverance, and this student has told me and us, ’I’m going to walk across that stage despite the fact that I am 38 weeks pregnant. I am dilated, and I can’t wait for you, Russ, and your friends to talk for an hour-and-a-half, so I need to graduate quickly.’”

3 days later, the baby Nylah was born healthy. And Kelsey has a message for everyone who was impressed by her grit: “Just don’t give up, that’s just the biggest thing. Don’t give up. If you have a goal, meet it.”

And her baby girl will surely grow up with the benefit of being raised by such a strong mom.