A terminally ill girl from Alberta is about to have her dream of meeting Taylor Swift come true.
The pop star has arranged for five-year-old Ava Hadfield to meet her before her concert at the Rexall Place in Edmonton on Tuesday night.
Ava has an aggressive tumour on her brain stem and doctors say she only has about one year to live. The tumour has been resistant to chemotherapy, radiation and multiple surgeries.
In July, family and friends rallied to help the young girl fulfill a bucket list, which was topped by a desire to meet the Grammy-winning artist.
Calling themselves "Ava's Army," they attempted to get Swift's attention on Twitter. And they were successful, with her label reaching out and setting up the meeting.
On Tuesday afternoon, Ava was prepping for her special night by wrapping gifts that she had purchased for Swift, including a set of earrings.
The five-year-old was so excited that she woke up at 5:30 a.m. this morning.
Ava's family is also focused on checking off other wishes on her bucket list. Ava was recently in a beauty pageant, and the lipstick-lover was also gifted a new collection.
She's also come into possession of some new pets. Ava now has a puppy and thanks to contributions from the community, she will soon have her own horse.
But Ava still has a difficult road ahead; a recent scan showed that her tumour has grown again.
Her family is exploring the possibility of seeking an experimental drug that's being tested in Toronto, Ont.
"I guess I'm happy that we still have an option left, and at the same time it's hard to know this is probably our last option," Ava's mother, Mandy Hadfield, told CTV Edmonton.
But tonight, those thoughts will be pushed aside as Hadfield hopes to watch her daughter's dreams come true.
"(I want to) focus on all the wonderful things we're still able to do with Ava," said Hadfield.
With a report from CTV Edmonton
