In May 2013, we granted Gráinne's wish to meet Beyoncé. Gráinne was living with cystic fibrosis, and shared her wish experience with her mum and sister. Thank you to her sister Aisling for sharing their story:
"The day started off by Gráinne, myself and our Mum Terri checking into the Gibson Hotel in Dublin, where they gave us the VIP treatment. Then we were collected and driven to Brown Sugar for a hair and makeup makeover. Once the pampering session was over we were collected again and driven back to the Gibson hotel to get dressed up and then downstairs to their restaurant for a three course meal. After dinner we met with our Make-A-Wish volunteer who brought us straight past all the queues outside the 3Arena to our seats, ready for Queen Bey to arrive on stage!
After the unbelievable concert we were on a high and nervous, all at the same time because we knew it was only a matter of time until we got to meet Beyoncé. Beyoncé's manager walked out to get us from our seats after the show and brought us through a corridor covered in white drapes and then into Beyoncé's dressing room. Gráinne was first in line to enter the dressing room, then me, followed by our mum Terri and our Make-A-Wish volunteer. Gráinne, or Gg as we called her, was never the type of girl to be stuck for words but she stood frozen in that doorway blocking our view when she saw Beyoncé casually sitting on a black leather sofa twirling her hair with her fingers, wearing a baggy black top, leggings and no shoes because her feet were hurting after the show performance. She greeted us and invited us into her dressing room and then wrapped her arms around Gg to give her a big hug, just like one of your best friends would.
We spoke to Beyoncé for over half an hour and it was almost as if we were catching up with an old friend, laughing and joking and discussing the excitement of the concert. She gave us her autograph on our CD album and VIP passes. Her professional photographer took the most beautiful photos of us all, she really captured the atmosphere. Gg became emotional telling Beyoncé that during all of her lengthy hospital admissions for her cystic fibrosis, it was often her music that got her through the most difficult times. She then went on to tell Beyoncé how she had queued up over-night outside Ticketmaster in Sligo to buy our tickets for the following night and without hesitation, Beyoncé turned to her team and asked them to upgrade our tickets to VIP Beyhive tickets! She gave us wristbands which we had to present the following night in order to skip the queue and go straight to the Beyhive pit right up at the stage. Before we left the dressing room Beyoncé warned Gráinne to have her best singing voice in tune for the following night, as she would be coming down to her with the mic at some stage during the concert.
Although Gráinne had been recovering from a very long three-month hospital admission at the time, the joy Make-A-Wish brought to us that weekend helped us to forget about the hospital and cystic fibrosis for a while. Those are precious memories and photos that myself and my mum now cherish four years after Gg's passing. We cannot find the words to thank Make-A-Wish Ireland and Beyoncé enough for it all, the memories are priceless!"
When Gráinne shared all of her photos and videos of that magical weekend on her facebook page her tagline was, "Nothing but a cure for CF would beat this day!"
