Hannah English with MPE Principal Katie Barrett, parents Lisa and Jeff, brother Cole, Victoria and Tiffany from Make-A-Wish, and fellow leukemia survivor Beth Lyons
Hannah English may have trouble concentrating on her 4th grade classwork at Merriman Park Elementary today.
She learned at the MPE Pride Rally this morning that she and her family will be whisked away to Puerto Rico tomorrow to meet Katy Perry at one of the pop star’s weekend concerts. The whirlwind trip is made possible by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Hannah was diagnosed in 2013 with leukemia.
“When they asked what she wanted for a wish,” said mom, Lisa English, “the Make-A-Wish people told her she’d be #5 on the list. Katy Perry is very popular. They ask if she wanted to choose anything else, but she said, ‘NO! I wanna meet Katy Perry.’ She loves all her songs and she sings them and dances around in her room. She has Katy’s posters all over her walls.”
“Last year,” continued Lisa, “on the one-year anniversary of her diagnosis, she went with friends to see Katy in concert in Dallas. She loves her.”
At the Pride Rally, MPE Principal Katie Kirkpatrick Barrett began the surprise unveiling by showing a video created by cancer survivors at Medical City Children’s Hospital. You can view it here (but have tissues ready).
“We have special guests today,” Barrett told fidgeting students and bewildered teachers, “Victoria and Tiffany from Make-A-Wish.”
“How many of you would like to Katy Perry?” the ladies asked the students. From the screaming and jumping, it looked unanimous. The only person motionless was Hannah.
“She had no idea, you guys,” said Barrett. “She’s shocked.”
“We are so proud of Hannah as she has fought and battled this cancer,” praised Barrett. “She’s our campus hero.”
