Christchurch Boys' High School Head Boy Leaves Hospital Bed To Deliver Emotional Speech

One week before senior prizegiving, 18-year-old Jake Bailey was told he might not live to see the day.

The Christchurch Boys' High School senior monitor, or head boy, was diagnosed with one of the world's fastest growing tumours - Burkitt lymphoma - last week.

He had written a speech for prizegiving before his diagnosis and managed to leave his hospital bed to deliver it from a wheelchair on Wednesday. It has since been watched more than 1500 times on YouTube.

Jake's emotional speech goes on to urge his fellow students to strive for success and be the best people they can be throughout their lives. He told his peers they had only one life to live.

Watch the moving speech here.

- NZME.