In our latest installment of our Access to a Dream series, we hooked up eight “American Idol” finalists with two wonderful little girls, and the result was pure Hollywood magic.
When Melinda, Sanjaya, LaKisha, Gina, Haley, Phil, Chris and Chris came to visit the Access stage, we had a special surprise waiting for them.
“I want to introduce you to two very special young ladies,” Access’ Shaun Robinson told the “Idol” finalists. “This is Lauren and Michelle. They are cancer survivors.”
It was an inspiring moment for everyone involved, as the City of Hope teamed with Access to make a dream come true for 13-year-old Lauren Ashley Morton and 8-year-old Michelle Tatekawa, who both got to meet their “Idols” on our stage.
“Hi beautiful,” Chris Richardson said hugging Michelle.
Michelle was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome and Lauren Ashley with Leukemia when she was 8.
For both girls, watching “American Idol” each week gave them a much needed distraction from the aggressive cancer treatments they were undergoing in the hospital.
“It was a diversion, but yet at the same time, it helped her evolve and not feel so out of touch,” Lauren’s mom Sherri Morton told us. “We would laugh and the nurses would all vote. We’d have all kinds of fun.”
Thanks to the treatments provided by City of Hope, both girls’ cancer is in remission. And as a special gift for the “Idols,” Lauren and Michelle passed out charity pins for them to wear.
“I want you to explain what it means, because these pins are very important. What does it mean when you wear one?” Shaun asked the girls.
“Most of them raise money for kids who have cancer,” an emotional Lauren explained as she began to break down.
“That’s very wonderful for you to give those pins to everybody,” Shaun told her.
Prior to that, we gave the girls a special gift of their own tickets to the “Idol” finale for them and their families.
“It was exciting, but I was really nervous too,” Michelle admitted.
Well if they were nervous at the finale, imagine the nerves when our big surprise came out as the girls got a chance to meet “Idol” winner Jordin Sparks on our stage.
Jordin visited with the girls after she came by Access to sing her winning song “This Is My Now,” which Michelle and Lauren got to hear.
“Do you like being here with all the lights and cameras and stuff? It’s kind of weird, huh?” Jordin asked them. “I know, it’s different for me too.”
“She said stuff like, ‘Thank you for voting for me,’” Michelle told us afterwards.
“She is so pretty. She is very intelligent and she’s awesome,” Lauren boasted of her favorite “Idol.”
Along with one of their charity pins for Jordin, they also gave her a sign which they made and brought to the finale in support of the “Idol” winner.
“They made me this sign on Tuesday and they held it up for me. It was so sweet,” Jordin beamed. “I’m going to hang it up in my room when I get home.”
And the words of Jordin’s song, “This Is My Now,” have never been more meaningful. But as a cancer survivor, it was a message little Lauren already knew.
“It makes me a different person. I have a new perspective on life,” she said. “You need to pay attention to every minute you have.”
For more information, visit CityOfHope.org.
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