Family Matters

Young Cancer Patients May Get a Boost — and a Visit — from Kelly Clarkson

The original American Idol was so starstruck by a video of children with cancer lip-synching to her song, "Stronger," that she intends to swing by Seattle Children's Hospital to meet them in person.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihGCj5mfCk8]

Sometimes, when you’re down and out, you need an anthem.  Something that champions triumph in the face of adversity, something, perhaps, like Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger.

The kids fighting cancer at Seattle Children’s Hospital who are featured in a viral video — along with doctors, nurses and parents — can use all the cheer they can muster. They found it in Clarkson’s chorus, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

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And now their spirits just might get boosted even higher by a visit from none other than the original American Idol herself.

Clarkson learned last week about the video, which has now been viewed more than 1.6 million times. She immediately tweeted it out:

Oh my goodness y’all have to see this! It’s beautiful! I can’t wait to visit these kids and nurses! It’s Seattle Children’s Hospital, I believe. God Bless y’all! 

In the video, kids wield signs proclaiming “Stronger” and “Fighter” and “Hope.” Nurses rock out. And one kid wearing a t-shirt that boasts “This Is What Awesome Looks Like” does some fancy footwork.

According to TIME’s Newsfeed:

The idea originally came from a young leukemia patient currently undergoing treatment, according to a story on the hospital’s website:

This fun celebration of strength was thanks to Chris Rumble, a 22-year-old Children’s cancer patient who lives in Kent, Wash., who was recently diagnosed with leukemia in April. Chris had the idea to make a music video to share with his old hockey team in Wenatchee because his teammates had made him a music video for his birthday.

“It was not only good to see the kids happy, but it was also great to see how their parents were so happy as they watched their kids just being kids – dancing, singing and having fun,” Rumble said about the filming of the video. Watching it, we found it hard not to feel the same way.

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Clarkson decided to video-conference with the kids last week. In a clip posted on her website, a heavily made-up Clarkson tells them: “I think that was just the coolest thing to be able to watch and I’m not gonna cry because I have to go perform right now.”

Clarkson’s rep at RCA records, Meghan Kehoe, said the singer is smack dab in the middle of production and couldn’t come to the phone. But she wants to meet those kids who shimmied through the hospital’s hallways lip synching her song. “Nothing is confirmed yet, but Kelly really wants to visit,” says Kehoe.