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Bingham HS graduate overcomes rare cancer

Posted at 11:18 PM, Jun 03, 2012
and last updated 2012-06-04 01:18:29-04

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah - As he received his diploma with his senior class, one Bingham High School student says he feels especially lucky to have reached the milestone.

Nathan Powell's life changed after a body surfing accident in California.

"On the final day I was there just a few hours before I was supposed to leave I was out body surfing and I caught a really bad wave and it smashed me into the sand," said Powell.

Doctors didn't find any serious injuries as a result of Powell's accident, but they did find something worse; bone cancer.

"They found this tumor, an osceosarcoma, in my face," he said. "It's incredibly rare."

Powell spent most of his senior year recovering from chemotherapy, but he was able to keep up on his school work and graduate on time. His chemotherapy treatments are scheduled to end this summer and he plans to attend BYU in the fall.