CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – "None of us get out of life alive. So be gallant, be great, be gracious and be grateful for the opportunities that you have."
Those were the words of New Zealand high school student Jake Bailey as he addressed classmates in an end of the year speech.
Bailey, 18, had been named valedictorian of his school and had a speech ready to deliver. But just one week before the commencement events, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer called Burkitt Lymphoma.
The news was grim as doctors told Bailey he had just weeks to live.
READ: Transcript of Bailey's speech
But instead of backing down, Bailey moved forward and decided to give the same exact speech he had written, only with new meaning.
"I wrote this before I knew I had cancer, and now I have a whole new spin on it," Bailey says.
According to The Guardian, Bailey, who spoke from a wheelchair, implored his classmates to live for the moment.
"Forget about long-term dreams. Let's be passionately dedicated to the pursuit of short-term goals. Work with passion and pride on what is in front of us. We don't know where we might end up or when it might end up," urged Bailey.
"I don't know where it goes from here, for any of us – for me, for you," Bailey concluded. "But I wish you the very best in your journey, and I thank you all for being part of mine."
When Bailey's speech ended, his classmates gave him a huge ovation and sang the school's song in his honor.
High School Student Speech Video