12-Year-Old Girl Battling Leukemia Kicked Out of School Over 'Attendance and Academic Concerns.' But Then the Issue Hit the News...

Rose McGrath was diagnosed with leukemia in August 2012.

The 12-year-old Michigan girl battled the disease and has been in remission since last December, WWMT-TV reported.

But this week she had to endure another setback — from her school.

Image source: WWMT-TV

McGrath was kicked out of St. Joseph Middle School in Battle Creek over 'attendance and academic concerns," according to a letter the school sent to her parents, which said their daughter had attended 32 of 134 school days this year.

Image source: WWMT-TV

The letter added that the school tried helping McGrath by reducing her workload and adjusting test-taking schedules.

"These were extraordinary circumstances, but so many accommodations were made we felt eventually it became a point where we really had to help Rose, by being able to make sure that she was getting the assistance that she needed and to learn," Father John Fleckenstein of Battle Creek Area Catholic Schools told WWMT.

Image source: WWMT-TV

But not long after the story made headlines and got the attention of social media, the school reversed its decision and are inviting Rose back to school, WWMT reported.

Will she take them up on the offer? Her dad told the station he's none too pleased with how his daughter was treated.

"The accommodations which were made were woefully inadequate for a child with such a serious diagnosis," Tom McGrath told the station.

Image source: WWMT-TV

Here's Father Fleckenstein's statement via WWMT:

After much consideration and prayer, and in consultation with Mrs. Marcy Arnson, principal of Saint Joseph’s, we have decided to invite seventh grader Rose McGrath to return to our school as soon as possible. We will continue to work with her and continue to provide as many accommodations that will help her during the remainder of the school year.

We remain convinced that the accommodations provided over the past months were extensive, appropriate, and compassionate. It is unfortunate that the coverage of this issue has been greatly distorted both in the media and on social networks. We hope and pray that moving forward we can do so with mutual respect while providing continued privacy for our student.

It is due to those privacy issues that we are not able to give a full account of the many hours of dedicated thought and loving efforts that the teachers, staff, and principal did in order to try and ensure Rose was able to progress in her studies so she would be able to succeed while managing her remission. We remain very happy that Rose’s health has improved.

As we did before, we will continue to work closely with the McGrath family and invite them to take advantage of the accommodations throughout the remainder of the school year. Our focus has been, and remains on the well-being and academic success of Rose.

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