If you’re easily moved by the beauty of human interaction, this is the article for you. During a packed show, American country superstar Garth Brooks halted his performance mid-song to read the unexpected sign of a loving fan who wanted to thank him for helping her through a tough time in her life.
Teresa Shaw, the fan in question, was battling cancer at the time. Her sign simply read, “Chemo this morning. Garth tonight. Enjoying the dance”, which caught Garth Brooks off-guard during his performance at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The video was an instant viral hit that captured the hearts of people all around the world and showed everyone how much of a sweet spirit Brooks is. Watch the original video right here:
Not only does Garth Brooks recognize the sign and get emotional, but he dedicates a few moments of his set to Teresa Shaw and offers inspiring words about her recovery. After trading her sign for his guitar, he says to Teresa, “You have all of my strength. You have everybody’s strength in here, and you go kick cancer’s ass,” which caused a roar of support from the equally loving crowd. It’s a truly wonderful moment of human interaction that can’t help but cause tears to roll.
Just when you thought things couldn’t get even more emotional, the duo got the chance to meet again in unexpected circumstances. As Garth Brooks was promoting his highly anticipated comeback record, Teresa Shaw was waiting for him in surprise on the set of Entertainment Tonight. His reaction and interaction with Shaw truly show his character and loving spirit, and you can see the video in full below:
Watching the two interact in the intimate setting of Entertainment Tonight only makes their story all the more touching. When Teresa enters the stage to surprise Brooks, he immediately stands and removes his hat as a sign of respect before giving her a caring embrace. Their reunion is both emotional and touching, especially knowing that this country musician likely gave Shaw an incredible amount of strength to go through her treatment.
Garth Brooks told Teresa Shaw to “kick cancer’s ass,” and that is exactly what she did. It was revealed that five years after the incredible Garth Brooks concert, Teresa Shaw was clear of her stage three breast cancer and reunited with Brooks once more.
With how hectic the world can be at times, stories like these are all the more important. It’s vital for us to take a step back and realize just how impactful words of encouragement, love, and support can be to someone, and moments like that which Brooks and Shaw shared should inspire us to be better to one another.
We hope that Shaw continues to experience full health and joy in her life and that Garth Brooks recognizes how much of an incredible thing he has done for both a loving fan and for the human spirit.