Global star Drake paid a surprise birthday visit to a young girl who did the ‘Kiki challenge’ while waiting in hospital for a heart transplant.
11-year-old Sofia Sanchez suffers from heart failure, but that didn’t stop her from taking on the challenge that’s been sweeping the internet recently – the Kiki challenge.
In case you’ve somehow managed to avoid seeing an example of the recent craze, it basically involves people performing a dance to Drake’s song In My Feelings. People have been getting out of cars and doing it. You know the one.
Sofia posted a video of her taking part in the challenge while she was in the Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, awaiting her heart transplant. She hoped it would encourage Drake to come and visit her in hospital.
A blog post shared by the hospital explained:
She has two wishes for her birthday: to get her new heart and to meet her idol, Drake, who is performing Friday and Saturday at the United Center in Chicago.
The young girl had already had surgery to help her heart pump, but she remained in hospital while she was waiting for the transplant.
In a video created for Drake, Sofia explained ‘my birthday’s this Saturday, your concert’s this Saturday, and I love your music. I was hoping that you could come and cheer me up for my birthday’.
Fantastically, the Canadian rapper made Sofia’s wishes come true, and surprised her by paying a visit to the hospital.
The young fan seemed entirely starstruck by her unexpected visitor, and greeted the star with a very excited ‘oh my God!’
Sofia explained how she questioned whether seeing the rapper in the room was actually real.
She said:
I didn’t talk for a minute, I was like, what? Is this real or fake?
The pair exchanged autographs, and Drake performed his hit song God’s Plan by Sofia’s bedside. He also shared pictures of the pair on his social media.
One of the captions read:
Me and my love Sofia talking about Bieber and Owls and Basketball
Sofia was pictured wearing a hat which says ‘Scorpion’ – the name of Drake’s latest album – which the singer put on for her:
The video of the visit was shared by Lurie Children’s Hospital, with the caption:
Today, Lurie Children’s Hospital heart transplant patient Sofia Sanchez, who turned 11 on Saturday, had one of her birthday wishes come true– a surprise visit from Drake.
The young girl said the experience was ‘the best birthday present I ever had’.
Today, @LurieChildrens heart transplant patient Sofia Sanchez, who turned 11 on Saturday, had one of her birthday wishes come true– a surprise visit from @drake https://t.co/WmwH7VkP1S. #all4your1 #drake #kikichallenge
— Lurie Children's (@LurieChildrens) August 21, 2018
A doctor at the hospital, Dr Bradley Marino, spoke about Sofia’s time in hospital and her spectacular birthday experience.
He said:
She came in with heart failure, she was so ill. And having this one special day where she doesn’t have to be a sick patient and is just a little girl, she’s a fan of a great artist, it’s pretty special.
Sofia said:
He’s one of the first wishes I’ve got in a long time… Thanks so much Drake for coming to see me, it means a lot that you came to cheer me up.
Hopefully Sofia’s other birthday wish will also come true very soon!
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.