Ohio mom dies after teen's hospice room graduation


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NEWARK, Ohio (AP) — A terminally ill Ohio woman has died weeks after seeing her 17-year-old daughter graduate from high school during a special ceremony held in her hospice room.

The Brucker-Kishler Funeral Home confirms 57-year-old Melissa Shumaker of Newark died Wednesday.

The Advocate in Newark (http://ohne.ws/1oxZTJR ) reports Shumaker's 17-year-old daughter, Evie, was supposed to graduate from Newark Digital Academy in central Ohio on May 31. Her teachers organized the impromptu graduation ceremony for the family more than a month early after learning that Shumaker had inoperable, late-stage pancreatic cancer.

The teen dressed in a cap and gown. "Pomp and Circumstance" was played on a cellphone, and Shumaker saw school officials hand her daughter a diploma.

The teen said it was a blessing because she didn't think her mother would see her graduate.

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Information from: The Advocate, http://www.newarkadvocate.com

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