Sick Fan Visited by Famous Pop Band

Category: Lifestyle/Entertainment

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. relapse / rɪˈlæps / (n) – the return or recurrence of a disease or illness after partially recovering from it
    Example:

    He was rushed to the hospital after his cancer relapse.


  2. coincide / ˌkoʊ ɪnˈsaɪd / (v) – to happen at the same time or place as something
    Example:

    The movie’s release date coincides with the shopping mall’s opening date.


  3. sulk / sʌlk / (v) – to be unhappy and quiet because one is angry or upset
    Example:

    After being scolded, the child ran and sulked in her room.


  4. go out of (one’s) way / goʊ aʊt əv weɪ / (idiom) – to do something special for someone
    Example:

    The singer went out of her way and paid for her fan’s hospital expenses.


  5. turn (something) around / tɜrn əˈraʊnd / (phrasal) – to improve or make something better
    Example:

    The audience was starting to get bored, so the band tried to turn things around by playing a lively song.


Article

Read the text below.

A teenage girl who had a bone cancer relapse was surprised by the Jonas Brothers after her social media post went viral.


Sixteen-year-old Lily Jordan was supposed to attend the Jonas Brothers’ Happiness Begins concert in Pennsylvania, United States. The concert was the American pop band’s first tour after a six-year hiatus since members Kevin, Joe, and Nick broke up in 2013. However, the concert date coincided with the teen’s chemotherapy treatment.


Instead of sulking in her hospital bed, Jordan turned to Instagram and asked her followers for help. She posted how much she would love for the Jonas Brothers to come to visit her since she could not leave the hospital. In her post, she even tagged the band’s Instagram account and pleaded her followers to make her story viral until it reached the pop group.


In an unexpected turn of events, Jordan’s story became viral, and the Jonas Brothers responded to the post. Right before their concert, the brothers went out of their way and visited the teen at Penn State Children’s Hospital.


The brothers made the teen even happier when they said they would dedicate one of their songs to her during the concert. They even promised to send Jordan a video of the song’s performance.


After the visit, Jordan went back to Instagram to thank her followers and the Jonas Brothers. In her post, she recognized the power of social media to turn things around, particularly in transforming something dreadful—like her chemotherapy session—into something special and memorable.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Why do you think celebrities or famous people go out of their way to do something for their fans? Discuss.
• If you were a celebrity, would you go out of your way for a fan? Why or why not?

Discussion B

• How powerful do you think social media is in influencing people? Explain.
• What causes or advocacies should influential people promote or support on social media? Discuss.