Boy fighting cancer gets wish of being middle school student

A young man fighting cancer had his biggest dream come true at a Newton County middle school on Friday.

Jonah Barnett has gone through a lot in his 11 years. Doctors found a tumor on his brain when he was just 13 months old.

After a decade of fighting the terminal disease, Jonah lost the ability to speak.  Recently, as his condition worsened, he lost the ability to walk.

"When he was at St. Judes recently and they were talking to the children about their aspirations, their dreams, one of the things that was a goal for him --one of the things he was looking forward to -- was just graduating fifth grade and moving on to middle school," said Dr. Lori Thomas, principal of Flint Hill Elementary School in Newton.

So Flint Hill Elementary School got to work to make Jonah's dream come true.

"It went from us having a small graduation to the whole school involved, the high school band coming and doing the graduation march, and the graduation gown and it was just amazing. And the middle school picked up and said, ‘We want to give him that experience,'" said Lynice Barnett, Jonah's mom.

On Friday, Cousins Middle School welcomed Jonah as one of their own.

"It just shows you how much kindness and how much love the kids have," said Lynice Barnett.

During an afternoon pep rally, Jonah became a sixth grade student at the big school just like he dreamed -- maybe even better than his dreams.

"I think it has touched him and his family in a way that is indescribable by words," Thomas said.

Jonah will be the special manager for the middle school's boys' basketball game on Friday night.