Bellaire student with health issues celebrates graduation from hospital bed

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It wasn't quite the way he planned, but Harrison Bowe is simply thankful he's here, and healthy enough, to receive his high school diploma from Bellaire High School.

Harrison said, "I was very concerned that my health issues were going to keep me from graduating and that I was going to spend the summer trying to fix this."

Harrison is staying at Houston Methodist Hospital. He's had health issues his whole life, so it was a special moment Saturday morning when the graduation ceremony came to him.

Harrison's mother said, "When he got sick, that was the first thing he worried about, credits and graduation."

Rex Bowe, Harrison's father, added, "We weren't sure what was going to happen. Everybody came together to pull this event off."

The bedside graduation was an exception. Those who know him best, say he certainly deserved it.

Michael McDonough, principal of Bellaire High School said, "When we found out early this week, members of the district, the hospital, worked to see what we could do to see that he was part of it."

So what does Harrison -- technically the first Bellaire graduate of 2014 -- have planned once he's released from the hospital?

"My future plans are to be a computer engineer," he said.

Houston Community College, and hopefully, Texas A&M are in his future -- a future he sees clearly after staying in the hospital, and certainly having some time to think about it.

Harrison said, "Life can change very quickly, but you can't live your life in fear, and you should always try your best."