Nine-year-old Brie Bird is a huge fan of Wicked who has spent months fighting stage 4 cancer. Doctors once feared she wouldn’t live to see November , so in September, the Wicked cast arranged a special private screening for Brie and her family.
But this weekend, against every odd, Brie lived to see the movie’s official premiere. Her mom, Kendra, celebrated online: “We made it , a day that once felt impossible.”
Brie was too weak to visit a theater, but she spent her day singing her favorite songs from Wicked and talking excitedly about the film, her heart full of joy.
Brie first captured the internet’s attention in August, when Ariana Grande mailed her a box of Wicked-themed gifts and makeup. Then came stars like Cynthia Erivo-who sent loving messages thanking Brie for sharing her passion and reminding her that she could “fly,” and that anything is possible.
In early October, as Brie’s health began deteriorating, her family celebrated an early Christmas , uncertain if they would have another one together. More recently, Brie has been sleeping most of the time, using oxygen, and hardly consuming food while her mother continues to pray for a miracle.
On November 24, while making a stuffed animal with her siblings, Brie made a wish. In soft, shaking breaths, she whispered:
“I wish my cancer goes away… that I can walk again… and that I can be a mom before I die.” Her mother wrapped her arms around her and said she wished for the very same things. Small as she is, Brie is unbelievably brave, an innocent little girl fighting with all the love in her heart, and truly defying gravity.