Airdrie girl with life-threatening illness heartbroken to miss Monday concert by her idol Shawn Mendes
All a 14-year-old Airdrie girl named Kaley Biggar wanted was to see Shawn Mendes sing on Monday, but then she received a life-threatening diagnosis.
Biggar was diagnosed with a yeast infection in her blood and for the past seven weeks, has been a patient at the Alberta Children's Hospital, where she's receiving an aggressive antibiotic treatment to clear up the infection, according to Dana Leann, a friend of the Biggar family.
Further complicating matters, Biggar is being transferred to Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton next week. There, on July 11, she's scheduled to have open heart surgery, and get a pacemaker she's had since childhood replaced in the hopes of curing her.
Shawn Mendes performs in concert during Q102's iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Philadelphia. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)
Biggar's kidney function is declining as well, which makes the surgery even more necessary.
Because of the threat of contracting any virus, Biggar can't go see the pop star perform Monday night at the Saddledome in Calgary because even if she caught a cold, that would result in a six-week delay for her surgery.
Kaley Biggar at Children's Hospital in Calgary
Biggar was born with multiple, life-threatening birth defects and has had 44 surgeries, with two more scheduled for the next four weeks. She was born with three holes in her heart and is 100 per cent feeding tube dependent.
The Alberta Children's Hospital has reached out to Mendes with no luck yet.
The Biggar family wants the public to share her story in the hopes of getting the singer's attention.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.