It was a very big day for Katelyn Joseph on June 19.
The 19-year-old, after having left school behind for awhile, had returned and was graduating from the Adult Education Centre.
But Joseph was attending her graduation after a harder night than her fellow graduates.
At 6 a.m. the previous morning, Joseph had gone into labour to give birth to her first child.
The young woman was in labour for 18 hours and finally gave birth at 10 minutes before 1 a.m. on June 12 in the Vanderhoof hospital.
She did not get to sleep until 4 a.m..
But a little thing like giving birth was not enough to stop her from making her graduation.
Her parents had been waiting for it and she did not want to let them down.
“I didn’t want to make them miss it,” she said.
So Joseph, after getting special permission from her doctor for a day pass from the hospital, woke up at 6 a.m. on June 12 to get ready to go back up to Fort St. James for her graduation ceremony.
Her mother, Andrea Tom and her dad Jason Joseph Sr. were also both with her for the duration.
Her dad had arrived home at 2:30 a.m. after his grandchild was born, and was at work that morning at 8 a.m., then took part of the day off to see his daughter graduate.
“It’s amazing,” said the proud father of his daughter’s accomplishment.
Katelyn Joseph and her healthy baby boy, born six pounds, eight ounces, returned to the Vanderhoof hospital after her graduation for the night.
The pair were then released to return home the following morning.
The baby’s name is Carson Frank George Joseph.
Katelyn Joseph is signed up to begin the Education Assistant Certificate in the fall at the College of New Caledonia.