A local teenager battling Hodgkin's Lymphoma is asking one superstar for a very special favor.
Emary Langhorn recently had to give up her ticket to Taylor Swift's concert to undergo her second stem cell or blood marrow transplant.
Her Hodgkin’s Lymphoma returned and now she is 13 days post-transplant. The goal is 100 days to declare her transplant a success.
“Emary is a charming 17-year-old teenager,” Dr. Sid Ganguly, a hematology oncologist, said. “She’s been battling cancer for two years, but just recently came to The University of Kansas Cancer Center and we placed her on very novel treatment that boosts the body’s own immune system to help hunt down the cancer and attack it.”
Dr. Ganguly says Emary is on her way to recovery, which is the goal.
While Emary understands she has to miss the concert with her friends, she hopes the mega music star will take time to visit her in the hospital.
Watch the video above to hear Emary’s invitation to Taylor Swift.
Emary's friends say they listened to Taylor as a way to stay positive and lift their spirits.
"For all of us it was the thing we bonded over. The three of us as friends really love her. We talk about her and listen to her songs," said Georgia Campbell, Emary's best friend.
"It's been the three of us and we have been looking forward to it. Now it kind of stinks that she won't be there now, but you know she will be listening to it at the hospital," said Hanna Carlson.
Taylor did not stop by the hospital or send a message to Emary on Monday, but her friends are not discouraged.
"I think that would be the neatest thing and it's like totally possible, too. Even if that doesn't happen, I just think that she's already done a ton of good for her and a ton of good for us," said Maggie Moyes.
5 things to know about the Taylor Swift concert
- Concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Monday. Taylor Swift will be in KC Monday and Tuesday.
- Prohibited times include selfie sticks, professional cameras, backpacks and signs on sticks.
- It took 26 tractor-trailers to carry Taylor's stage and equipment across the country along with 11 buses filled with the crew, stage managers and backup dancers.
- She's playing in 55 cities in 11 countries over eight months.
- Tickets are sold out at the center but still available on secondary websites.
Watch the video below to hear from fans waiting for the concert to begin. (Mobile users: Can't see the video? Watch it here.)
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Ariel Rothfield can be reached at ariel.rothfield@kshb.com.
