Family holds a Sweet Sixteen for terminally ill teen

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - It's a celebration almost everyone looks forward to... your Sweet Sixteen.

The cupcakes are out, the presents in place, and the drinks.

"We're celebrating my daughter's sixteenth birthday," Deanna Miller-Berry, the mother of Shannie Miller-Berry said.

Don't be fooled, this is no ordinary Sweet Sixteen.

This was a special party for a special person.

"What makes her birthday a little different from most others, she's had a sixteen year fight trying to fight for her life," Deanna Miller-Berry said.

Shannie Miller-Berry has had open heart surgery, a number of life-threatening diseases, she's deaf, and her airway is seventy percent clogged. This year, her doctors had even more bad news.

"There was nothing else they could do for her and she was back at that terminal state," Deanna Miller-Berry said.

Well, Captain Robert Murray heard about Shannie and knew he wanted to help.

Murray is the owner of The Carolina Girl, a luxury yacht that serves as a high-end event venue and offers cruises around the Charleston area.

"This is the least we can do," Murray said.

The least they could do was certainly a lot. He and his crew hosted a party on his yacht completely free of charge.

"This is something we should do and try to do on a regular basis," Murray said.

It's an act of kindness that left Shannie's mom overwhelmed with emotion.

"I have no words," Deanna Miller-Berry said.

Deanna Miller-Berry has also dedicated her life to helping other families with children struggling with disabilities. She founded the Saving Shannie Foundation, which aims to equip every qualified non-verbal and verbally challenged children with an android tablet and software to help them strengthen their speaking skills.

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