| Ill teen to miss date with Taylor Swift In his second bout with cancer, 18-year-old Kevin McGuire won over the Internet and Taylor Swift. The 22-year-old Swift had provided for McGuire to have a tuxedo and shoes, airfare for him and his family, and hotel accommodations to attend the awards show. The country music event's reigning Entertainer of the Year, Swift is scheduled to present an award and is nominated for Entertainer of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year. McGuire has been cautious leading up to the event, declining a visit to the mall for fear of getting sick and even guaranteeing doctors had washed their hands before visiting him, his mother said. "He said to me, 'Well, how many people get to say they turned down Taylor Swift?' " said Vicki McGuire with a small laugh. Though his cancer has been in remission, Kevin McGuire — who last spoke with the Courier-Post Thursday afternoon — said he was coming off his most intense week of chemotherapy ever: five days of radiation, five hours each. "His immune system is compromised," the Somerdale resident said. McGuire, who was first diagnosed with cancer as a 13-year-old, thought he had defeated the illness in 2010. , from accompanying the superstar to Sunday night's Academy of Country Music Awards. Hours after being in "great spirits" Thursday, and a day before his planned departure to Las Vegas for the show, McGuire was dealt a 103-degree fever and taken to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, according to his mother, Vicki McGuire. McGuire told the Courier-Post Thursday afternoon: "I've been living day by day, but mainly this past couple weeks I've been doing the best I can to not get sick, or mess up. McGuire's cousin Nicole Durand said the 25 hours of chemotherapy had weakened his immune system, preventing room visits for much of this week. A call to Swift's publicist, Paula Erickson, was not returned as of Friday evening. It was at this Philadelphia hospital where Kevin McGuire and his older sister Victoria drew the sympathies of thousands through the formation of the Facebook page "Taylor Swift take KEVIN MCGUIRE TO PROM!" The page has more than 128,000 followers, including Swift, who responded to Kevin on her Facebook page: "Kevin, I'm so sorry but I will not be able to make it to your prom," the singer wrote. Fever aside, counts of blood cells and hemoglobin need to be strong for McGuire to make Saturday's 2,500-mile trip to Las Vegas, site of the Academy of Country Music Awards, Kevin McGuire said Thursday. "I am excited," McGuire said Thursday, "but I'm trying to prepare myself in case my counts are too low. He remained in the hospital Saturday, and his sister Victoria posted this message on the "Taylor Swift take KEVIN MCGUIRE TO PROM!" Facebook page: "I am so sorry to announce this devastating news, but Kevin was admitted to the hospital last night, and is unable to attend the Academy of Country Music Awards with Taylor Swift. … Please continue to pray for Kevin and his health, because that is the most important thing. |
Sunday, 1 April 2012
Ill teen to miss date with Taylor Swift
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