Teens Who Became Friends After Sharing Same Bone Cancer Diagnosis Go to Prom Together: 'Perfect Night'

"Seeing her happy made me happy," Cade Thompson, 18, tells PEOPLE of sharing the full experience — including a surprise promposal — with Vivian Eagle, 17

Throughout her cancer treatments, 17-year-old Vivian Eagle focused on one thing: going to prom. This month, she got to do just that with a friend who knows exactly what she went through: 18-year-old Cade Thompson, who was diagnosed with the same bone cancer.

The pair met a month after the high school junior from Avon, Ind., was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. At the time, Cade, who lives nearby in Indianapolis, had just completed his treatments. He showed her his scars and the two became fast friends as he supported her through her chemo and surgery.

And on Saturday May 13, he escorted her to her high school prom.

“It was so fun,” Vivian tells PEOPLE. “I completely forgot about everything. It was just like I was a normal teenager again.”

The following week, the pair returned to Riley Children’s Health, where they both were treated, in their prom regalia to thank their medical team and spread hope to other pediatric cancer patients.

“They’re the reason that we’re here today,” Cade says. “I feel like I owe that to them for them to see me healthy.”

Related: Md. Teen Began Helping Sick Kids After Her Own Cancer Diagnosis at Age 7: 'I Like Making People Happy'

Cade was a five-sport athlete who broke track records in eighth grade and was a starting varsity football player his freshman year. 'I had big sports plans," says the teen whose family tree includes dad Ryan Thompson, a retired MLB player who played for nine seasons with teams like the Yankees and Astros, and brother Broc Thompson, who plays football at Purdue University.

But while jumping off a diving rock in the summer of 2020, Cade felt his knee give out. “I thought it was just growing pains,” Cade tells PEOPLE.

Instead, after seeing a doctor he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma.

Vivian, a volleyball player and high jumper, first noticed her knee felt wrong in November 2021.

“I was used to aches and pains everywhere,” she says. “I thought it would just go away, so I ignored it.”

A month later, she told her parents, but it wasn't until her coach saw her limping at practice that the teen was given an ultimatum: go to a doctor or sit out the next game. In January 2022, she received her diagnosis.

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The two teens met that February thanks to Vivian's mother, a high school biology teacher who knew one of Cade's teachers. At the time, Cade had just finished his chemo, and Vivian was about to start hers.

“We just connected,” Vivian says.

They are not boyfriend-girlfriend (although Vivian is friends with Cade's girlfriend), but “best friend” or “brother and sister” aren't the right words to describe their relationship, she says. Cade agrees. "It’s a one-of-a-kind friendship,” he says.

“He’s like my second half," she adds. "We've only known each other for a year, but it feels like we've known each other our whole lives.”

Related: Teen Cancer Survivor with Autism Gets Acceptance Letter to College That Saved Her Life: 'Grateful'

Vivian finished her last round of chemo and started going to school in person again in October. To celebrate, she decided to ask Cade if he would escort her to homecoming. Unfortunately, he had another commitment that night, but he promised he would take her to the prom.

And he didn't just act as her date — he gave her the full experience.

The week before the big dance, Vivian was in biology class dissecting a pig when the dean called her out of class. “I thought I was in trouble,” she says. But there was Cade with a sign-filled promposal, which she wasn't expecting.

“I started crying,” she says. “It just made me so happy.”

“She deserved it. We’ve both been through a lot,” Cade says. “Seeing her happy made me happy.”

For the dance, Cade suggested they wear yellow, the color for osteosarcoma awareness. Vivian found a frothy yellow gown she loved, and even though it was out of her family's budget, she sent a picture to Cade and his mom anyway.

Cade’s mother called the store owner and asked if Vivian could borrow the gown for prom. Instead, the store owner, also a cancer survivor, gifted Vivian her dream dress.

The goal of the evening was for Vivian to have her "perfect night" — and she did, heels included!

“I forgot about my leg. I was bouncing around, jumping around. We were just screaming all the songs," she says. "It was so fun."

Related: Ark. Teen Athlete Who Lost Her Leg amid Cancer Battle Runs Again: 'It Was a Long Process'

For both athletes, their future plans have pivoted. Cade said goodbye to his professional sports career, but just signed with an agency and is hoping to start modeling and acting.

Vivian had hoped to attend college on an athletic scholarship, now, thanks in part to Cade's recovery, she’s considering a possible career in competitive adaptive ski racing.

“Plans change and life changes,” Cade says. “I feel like hope is the biggest thing and being happy will get you a lot farther than being upset.”

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