On Friday, October 8, 2010, students, teachers and family members gathered at Wilby High School to honor one of their classmates, Dennis Collins.
Dennis, who celebrated his 20th birthday on August 14, 2010 with a Mylar balloon party, was born premature at 25 weeks and suffers from a seizure disorder ,cerebral palsy, scoliosis, Ehlers Danlos syndrome, Leukemia and Dandy Walker syndrome.
Dennis attends the Wilby High School Essential Skills class. His life and struggle has had such an impact on the students at Wilby they decided to get together formally to celebrate Dennis and the impact he has had on the lives of all who know him.
"The seniors are having a celebration to honor Dennis and how he has touched their lives. They want to show their support to Dennis and his family" said Carolyn Collins-Smith, Dennis' mother.
Describing the day, Carolyn added "Dennis was on stage. His teacher and three students each read a letter about how Dennis has touched their lives. They sang two of his favorite songs and gave him a Wilby shirt and cap. They made a sign for him with sayings and every senior signed it. "
