Country music superstar Garth Brooks paused his Calgary concert on Friday when he noticed a fan holding a simple cardboard sign that read, 鈥�.鈥�
鈥淲e were just expecting, you know, maybe it to show up on the screen, maybe get a shout-out, that kind of thing,鈥� Gale Gariepy told CTV Calgary on Monday. 鈥淏ut we never expected what actually happened.鈥�
The Prince Albert, Sask. woman was in the city for her six-year-old son鈥檚 cancer treatment. And just hours before the show, Gariepy received news that she had long been yearning for: following a harrowing 13-month battle with leukemia, Mason was finally cancer-free.
鈥淚f you need something to be happy about, this would be it,鈥� Brooks told the crowd in Calgary鈥檚 Saddledome.
For more than two minutes, Brooks chatted with Gariepy from the stage, asking about Mason and his fight.
鈥淎nybody who鈥檚 a parent will know this,鈥� Brooks said in a more than a quarter of a million times. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l deny it, but me, as a parent, I will say it for you: as hard as that child has fought, I know that you have fought a hundred times harder.鈥�
Brooks then asked Gariepy how long it will take for Mason鈥檚 immune system to recover. When she said 鈥渢wo years,鈥� the country singer hatched a plan.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to miss him,鈥� Brooks, who鈥檚 playing a string of shows in the city until Sept. 9, said. 鈥淪o I鈥檒l tell you what -- I need you to take something to Mason from me, okay?鈥�
Brooks then borrowed a marker and scrawled a note to Mason (鈥淭ake care of your mama!鈥�) before signing the guitar.
鈥淢ay you never have to worry about the frigging C-word again, honey,鈥� Brooks exclaimed as the crowd cheered. 鈥淵ou give Mason a hug for me. You have all of my strength and all of my joy. Congrats!鈥�
For Gariepy, Brooks鈥� words definitely struck a chord.
鈥淚 remember holding my face lots because I was trying not to cry,鈥� she told CTV Calgary. 鈥淚 was just trying to hold it together and stuff and the crowd went wild it was just amazing I felt like I had 14 thousand new friends there.鈥�
But as touching as the moment was, Gariepy says that highlight of her day occurred just three hours earlier.
鈥淧eople have asked me which one's bigger: cancer-free or Garth Brooks,鈥� she said. 鈥淥bviously its the cancer-free, but what other better way to have 14 thousand complete strangers rooting for your son.鈥�
With files from CTV Calgary
