She wanted to roar, and that’s exactly what she did.
The dreams of a young B.C. leukemia patient just came true after the 10-year-old was granted her wish of becoming a pop star through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
But Zoe’s Katy Perry "Roar" music video wouldn’t have happened without her courage and strength to fight the disease that almost took her life.
The young Vancouver Islander was given a grave prognosis after being diagnosed with a type of leukemia called AML.
“They said that Zoe initially had a 10 per cent chance of survival,” her mom Jody told Make-A-Wish in a video sent to CTV News.
Treatment included four rounds of intense chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant to give her a better chance of survival. That involved more chemo. In total, she was in hospital for nine months straight – mostly confined to her room.
But instead of getting weaker, with every treatment Zoe resolved that she would get better.
“She just dug down and got braver and braver every time she had to do something, no matter how scared she got. She amazed us all,” said Jody.
After Zoe shared her dream with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a team of volunteers began making the young girl’s dream of becoming a pop star a reality: bringing together dancers, hair and makeup technicians and video teams to produce the video of a lifetime.
From limo drivers and photographers to professional dancers and film industry veterans, 25 people volunteered their time and expertise to film Zoe’s “Roar” recreation in late September. Zoe’s grandmother even sewed one of her dresses.
The video follows the pint-sized star through the jungle as she’s surrounded by tigers, zebras and other wild animals. But unlike Katy Perry’s video, little Zoe makes it out of the jungle and into a limo, where she’s dropped off on a red carpet.
Fifty people volunteered for the final paparazzi scene, where Zoe is mobbed by adoring fans who all want her autograph and a selfie snapped with the star.
Two hundred hours of shooting, editing and production went into the final product, which debuted at an event earlier this month.
“It was amazing. Watching her face light up the first time she saw it was priceless,” wish coordinator Michaela Woloszyn told CTV News.
“She was elated, and so excited and even a little bit overwhelmed. You can see it in her face just how thrilling it was.”
The $20,000 cost to make the video was covered by corporate and individual donations.
Mom Jody said having Zoe’s wish come true had a huge effect on her daughter, and their whole family.
“It became a real tool to get through some things,” she said. “You can just spend that time daydreaming about the good things to come. It’s an amazing gift.”
