A teenager who hasn’t been able to walk for 10 years did so at her high school graduation.
Melika Ghanaati, 19, surprised the crowd gathered at Northview Heights High School in North York, Ontario, including her mother and father, as she took her first unassisted steps since 2013.
At a young age, Melika was diagnosed with a number of medical conditions, including scoliosis, congenital myopathy, severe clubfoot, and recurrent kidney stones.
Melika was dependent on a wheelchair or walker, but after a year of intensive physical therapy, she was able to walk independently across the stage to receive her diploma and two academic awards.
“I wanted to surprise everyone with the walk, but the most important thing is that I thought I owed it to myself,” Melika said.
Melika Ghanaati, 19, surprised the crowd gathered at Northview Heights High School in North York, Ontario, including her mother and father, as she took her first unassisted steps since 2013.
The video of the inspiring moment she walked for the first time begins with her slowly rising from her wheelchair, dressed in a navy blue graduation cap and gown.
As she begins to walk, a teacher in a black robe stands nearby as she begins to quicken her pace and reach the center of the stage.
Another clip shows the raw reaction of the crowd as everyone stands up and applauds Malika.
His severe scoliosis, curved spine, and club feet (when a person’s feet turn inward) have had the biggest impact on his ability to walk.
Between the ages of 10 and 13, Melika had to undergo three spinal surgeries and, when she was 12, she briefly died in the ICU after a procedure.
“I lost a lot of blood flow and needed a blood transfusion,” he said.
After surgery in 2016, the chronically ill student was told by her doctor that she was “forbidden” to walk again, but four years later she was “finally” given the go-ahead to walk unassisted.
Melika was diagnosed with a number of medical conditions, including scoliosis, congenital myopathy, severe clubfoot, and recurrent kidney stones. A teacher guided her (right) as she rose from her wheelchair before quickening her pace and reaching the center of the stage.
Between the ages of 10 and 13, Melika had to undergo three spinal surgeries and when she was 12 she died briefly in the ICU after a procedure.
“At school I always had a walker and after the surgeries they prohibited me from walking and taking a break if I needed to stop,” he said.
After three years, she became confident enough to see a physical therapist, just in time to walk at her graduation.
“In July 2022, I was doing physical therapy; my last year of high school was very chaotic, I was trying to adapt and learn how to attend four different extracurricular clubs,” Malika said.
When she got home from school, she said she was “completely exhausted” and “did her best” to complete her exercises at home.
He compared his sessions with his physiotherapist to “a baby learning to walk”, as he had to take each step gradually.
The task his doctor gave him included holding onto the wall and putting one foot in front of the other.
“The goal was to graduate, I had to move on,” he said.
After surgery in 2016, the chronically ill student was told by her doctor that she was “forbidden” to walk again, but four years later she was “finally” given the go-ahead to walk unassisted.
In an attempt to keep her surprise a secret, Malika decided not to tell her parents and friends that she was learning to march for graduation. (pictured: Malika as a child)
In an attempt to keep her surprise a secret, Malika decided not to tell her parents and friends that she was learning to march for graduation.
He informed his school’s graduation committee about his plan, in case something went wrong.
“I think in the back of my teachers’ minds, they were worried about me falling.”
“They asked me if I needed my walker, but I wanted to do everything alone without anyone holding my hand,” Malika said.
As her graduation day approached, Malika said she almost backed out of her plan and took her wheelchair up to the stage.
“I was so close to changing my mind. The special education director helped me in case I fell, she was my plan B,” Malika said.
She admitted that as she walked, she told herself not to fall and looked at her feet so the audience wouldn’t “lead her astray.”
Malika not only received her diploma, but she also received the Vision of the Future award for her good grades and the school board award for her academic and extracurricular involvement.
As her graduation day approached, Malika said she almost backed out of her plan and took her wheelchair up to the stage. (pictured: Malika holding on to a walker in a game room)
She is now a psychology major at York University’s Glendon campus and has been involved on campus in a research learning program and is an ‘eAmbassador’ for prospective students.
With emotions running high, she had not realized that her parents, Marjan Simi, 49, and Masaud Ghanaati, 56, were in a “tearful mess” and that she received a standing ovation from the crowd .
“I didn’t really process it at the time. “If I had done it at that moment, I would have started crying,” he said.
Walking off stage, Malika said she felt a huge sigh of relief when she saw her wheelchair waiting for her.
“It was a great success, I saw my father wiping his tears with the sleeve of his jacket.”
Melika, who now studies psychology at York University’s Glendon Campus, said: “This was a very special moment for me – my teachers and closest friends were worried about me, but I proved them all wrong.”
According to her LinkedIn profile, Melika plans to become a lawyer one day and is “very passionate about social sciences.”
She also became involved on campus in a research learning program and is an ‘eAmbassador’ for prospective students.