‘This was my dad’s all-time dying wish’: AC/DC cancellation shatters family’s dream to fulfill father’s final wish

Mike Crawford, a man who survived a devastating brain aneurysm, had planned to see his favourite band live—perhaps his last chance.

When a massive storm severely damaged Rogers Stadium in Toronto, it forced the cancellation of AC/DC’s Sept. 16 concert. And with that, it stomped out a Collingwood man’s last wish.

Mike Crawford suffered a brain aneurysm that left him in a coma for six months. During that time, his daughter, Katelynn, used the sounds of the classic rock band to stay connected with her father.

“This is my dad’s all time dying wish, to see AC/DC again. And it’s ultimately my wish too, because you can never put a price tag on the memory this concert would have held for us,” said Katelynn Crawford to CTV News.

“So I sat there every day while I had brand-new twins, was in law school, and we just rocked out every day to AC/DC. I’d place that phone beside his ear, and I knew he could hear us somehow.”

Mike awoke from that coma, and when AC/DC was slated to come to the city, a plan was put in place to make his dream come true. But Mother Nature had other plans.

“We arranged nursing care, we arranged transportation, plus the nursing-care ticket. We had transportation back from the concert to the hospital and vice versa. We arranged to have the nurse come with us, so we had to cancel all of that,” Katelynn said.

The Crawford family is no stranger to heartbreak and saying goodbye to a loved one far too soon. “I lost my mom a year ago, and they told me that my dad only had six months to live.”

Now, they are also out the chance at a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“This is the last concert my dad would ever see. This would have been the first concert I ever attended with my dad. It’s something huge. It’s something I would hold on to for the rest of my life,” continued Katelynn.

Still, the family remains focused on the future.

“Some days are better than others. My family is a big believer that tomorrow is a new day. We keep fighting and we just have to keep moving on. It doesn’t mean she’s not here with us, because we know she is. She’s probably rocking out with us right now.”

Katelynn looked over at her father during a CTV interview and asked softly, “You think Mom’s rocking out with us?”

Mike didn’t hesitate.

“Yeah,” he replied with a big smile.

Tonight (Tuesday) would have marked the official eve of a memorable experience for AC/DC fans, who were set to see the legendary rock band perform on Wednesday.