BRIGHTON, Mich. – For one Taylor Swift fan in Livingston County, Friday night came with a special surprise.
Local 4 first introduced you to 21-year-old Maddie Odum Thursday (June 8). She’s battling Stage 4 of a rare form of cancer.
A Metro Detroit company called UTEC gifted her eight suite tickets to Friday night’s show, but that’s just part of the fun.
Odum knew about the tickets but had no idea what else friends, family, and the Brighton community had in store for her leading up to the concert.
“Maddie doesn’t know that I’m coming here right now with my friends, and she doesn’t know we’re going to have a party bus,” said one family friend.
Odum was already expecting a night to remember, not just because they celebrated Taylor Swift.
“Just dancing with my best friends to all my favorite songs,” Odum said. “It symbolizes how far I’ve come and how all of us are going to be together to celebrate me, and I just love everybody, and I’m so excited.”
Her community and organization, Fund a Life, took it one step further, surprising her with a party bus and a Brighton Area Fire Authority escort.
“We’re a small community in Brighton, so if we have the opportunity to support someone who needs help, that’s what the fire department is about,” said Sgt. Bryan Berry of Brighton Area Fire Authority.
“This is one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had before,” said Fund A Life Director of Development Shevalla Kramer. “Just seeing the look on Maddie’s face and her friends being able to come together to see her; this is what it’s all about.”
A milestone is coming for Odum next week, as she has just one more round of chemo left.
