A Milwaukee teen suffering from MALS had the experience of a lifetime when she met her country music icon, Zach Bryan.
Megan Pederson, 19, has been battling Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS) for years. As Megan explained to WTMJ-4, The disorder “cuts off blood supply to your digestive organs, so they don’t really function the way they should.”
MALS is extremely painful and most doctors don’t know how to treat it.
“It was like a nightmare that I couldn’t escape. Like everything I once knew was gone,” she told the publication.
Throughout her journey with the syndrome, Megan has relied on Zach Bryan’s music. She said his lyrics and melodies give her peace during her most challenging moments.
“His music just isn’t music to me,” she shared. “It’s my escape. It’s my everything.”
in 2023, the teen stayed in Oklahoma for over two months to work with specialists, and she explained those days as “the worst” and “the best days” of her life. One of the best days came when she was able to go to her first Zach Bryan concert.
While she was in the crowd, she met Zach’s dad, Dwayne, and formed a lasting friendship with him.
“We had an instant connection,” he said.
After meeting Dwayne, he made it a point to stay in touch with Megan. He would often call to check in and chat, and one day he had good news—his son was playing a concert near her, and he invited her to sit stageside.
“That countdown was once so big,” Megan said. “We didn’t know if I would make it another day, another week. We didn’t know if I would make it until Christmas, let alone the concert.”
On March 20th, Megan made it to the big day, and Zach Bryan was ready to greet her with a signed guitar, hugs and conversations, and a backstage pass.
While Megan said she felt like she was going to faint from excitement, her time with Zach was a “revival” for her body and soul.
“Mentally, his music has gotten me through a hundred percent of my worst days,” she admitted. “And I firmly believe that’s the reason why.”
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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