To say Amanda Jaramillo is a dedicated One Direction fan is an understatement. The Albuquerque, New Mexico native is a completely obsessed super fan of the pop group. So, when a local radio station put on a 4-day scavenger hunt for prime ticket to a sold-out One Direction concert, she was determined to find them. And find them she did! Jaramillo solved all of the clues, beat out the competition, and found the tickets before anyone else. It was her dream come true.
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But this is where the story gets really interesting: during the entire 4 days of scouring the city for the tickets, Jaramillo knew she would not be able to go. Unfortunately, the college student had class the night of the concert. Her mission, instead, was to find the tickets and the give them someone in need…someone who would deeply enjoy the One Direction Experience.
So, Jaramillo contacted a CBS affiliate in Phoenix, the location of the concert, to reach out to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital. She wanted the tickets to go to a deserving fan that was being treated at the hospital.
Soon she found 12-year-old Estefania Canales.
Canales has been battling ovarian cancer since May, but hospital staff say she always has a smile on her face, the music of One Direction always keeping her spirits high. The date of the concert was coming near and Canales was very upset that her family couldn’t afford to get tickets, since her treatment had already cost them so much. So, when Jaramillo surprised Canales with the tickets, she was ecstatic. This amazing surprise, all thanks to someone she’d never met, resulted in an absolutely unforgettable night.
Jaramillo’s own mother was just recently diagnosed with breast cancer so she understands the struggle that cancer patients go through. She couldn’t have given her tickets to someone more deserving than Canales.
Canales was extremely thankful to Jaramillo for being kind enough to give up an experience that she herself really wanted. It’s so rare that we give up something we really want to someone else, but the feeling we get after that kind of sacrifice is one of a kind. Jaramillo’s simple request to Canales was that she have the time of her life and that she sing at the top of her lungs to Jaramillo’s favorite song, “That’s What Makes You Beautiful.” We’re sure Canales did.
This story has an even happier ending now that Canales is in remission! Below is a photo of Canales grinning from ear to ear, with tickets in hand.
Image via Phoenix Children’s Hospital Facebook
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