Carlsbad Senior Who Had Emergency Brain Surgery Graduates at Hospital

A teenager who underwent emergency surgery to remove a brain tumor graduated from Carlsbad High School Monday in a special ceremony at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla.

Josue Ramos, 18, had been suffering from headaches for months, when his mother took him to the emergency room at Scripps Memorial Hospital, where a 5.5-centimeter benign growth was found in the back of his brain.

The fast-growing tumor would have been life-threatening if not removed, according to doctors at Scripps.

Ramos was recovering from surgery while his classmates graduated Thursday, so the hospital helped put on a graduation ceremony.

His family attended the hospital ceremony along with Carlsbad Unified School District Superintendent Suzette Lovely and high school principal Matthew Steitz, who were dressed in robes.

"It means a lot that everyone came out," Ramos told 10News. "It really shows their love for me."

Ramos was in bed but had a cap and gown by his side and wore a medal around his neck during the ceremony in his hospital room, which was decorated with cards and balloons.

–City News Service