A young girl from Buffalo named Brianna Zarbo had her plans to attend Ariana Grande’s concert yesterday shattered when she learned earlier in the week that she needed emergency surgery that would prevent her from seeing the singing sensation’s show.
According to WGRZ , the concert tickets were Zarbo’s Christmas present last year. Speaking to the news outlet, Brianna’s dad, Steve, revealed his daughter has several health conditions and has spent most of her life transitioning from home to the hospital.
“She has been here so many different times. She’s had 27 surgeries. She’s got scoliosis, she’s got a swallowing disorder,” her father continued to explain.
It was her sister, Amanda Justice, that purchased the concert tickets for her because she knew Ariana was her sister’s favorite singer.
“I was holding the secret for a while and the day that she opened them it just made me so happy,” Amanda said as she recalled giving her sister the tickets.
Her family revealed that Brianna was devastated when she learned she would need to be admitted for her 28th surgery, which prevented her from going to the concert.
Leanne Stuck, a journalist for WGRZ, asked Brianna what it would mean for her to meet Ariana Grande. The young girl tearfully responded, “everything.”
Stuck shared a video clip on Twitter of Brianna dancing in her hospital bed to one of Grande’s songs. The journalist tagged the singer and explained the young girl’s situation in hopes that Ariana would find time to come to the hospital to see her young fan.
PLEASE SHARE: Brianna Zarbo was heartbroken when she discovered she needed her 28th surgery and wouldn’t be able to attend the @ArianaGrande concert tonight. Her one wish to have Ariana visit Oishei Children’s Hospital while she is in town. https://t.co/5WZeGDcemn pic.twitter.com/o6OWNRoZR1
— WGRZ (@WGRZ) March 22, 2019
A separate piece by WGRZ reveals that thousands of people took to social media to share Brianna’s story and her wish that Grande would visit her at the hospital while she was in town.
Just a little impromptu dance party @OCHBuffalo today with Bri, @ArianaGrande’s biggest fan! ???????? pic.twitter.com/OIOgOUeH1n
— Oishei Children’s Hospital (@OCHBuffalo) March 22, 2019
While the 25-year-old singer’s schedule prevented her from coming to the hospital to see her super fan in person, Grande did catch wind of the story and showered the young girl with gifts instead.
Unable to grant the young girl’s wish, the singing sensation sent Brianna flowers, hats from her tour, T-shirts, and an autographed poster with the words, “I am sending you the biggest hug.”
#UPDATE ! @ArianaGrande couldn’t make it to @OCHBuffalo to meet Briana BUT she sent her all of this swag and a poster which read “I am sending you the biggest hug. We wish you were here and all send our love.” How sweet! @WGRZ @ScottLevinTV @LeanneStuck pic.twitter.com/dustSCNWh6
— Mitch Simon (@MitchSSimon) March 22, 2019
Two other members of the WGRZ family, Scott Levin and Mitch Simon, took to Twitter yesterday to share photos and a video clip of the swag Grande showered her hospitalized fan with.
The video clip featured Brianna dancing to one of Grande’s songs while the video panned across all of the items the singer sent to the young girl.
