After getting sick, this 15-year-old missed her favorite band — until they surprised her.
After playing an amphitheater the night before, the rock band stopped to visit a fan.
On Thursday night, rock band Florence and the Machine played to a packed crowd at the Austin360 Amphitheater in Austin, Texas.
As usual, lead singer Florence Welch wowed the audience with her theatrics and powerful voice.
But something was missing.
Photo by Mauricio Santana/Getty Images.
A 15-year-old girl at nearby Hospice Austin's Christopher House was confined to her bed and unable to attend the concert.
She and her best friend had long planned to attend that night's Florence and the Machine concert. Unfortunately, she landed in hospice and was too weak to make it.
She was crushed, but good news was right around the corner.
The day after the band's Austin concert, Welch and guitarist Rob Ackroyd decided to make that 15-year-old's dream come true — with a private concert.
It's not every day you go from performing in front of thousands of people to joining just a roomful of people in song and celebration — but that's exactly what Welch and Ackroyd did. At the hospice, the two played through songs such as "Shake It Out" and "Dog Days Are Over," with Welch holding the patient's hand and focusing her energy.
Even watching the video takes you into this sort of otherworldly, joyous experience.
Photo via Hospice Austin's Christopher House/YouTube.
There were smiles, there were tears, and above all, there was love filling that room.
Welch was even pretty impressed with the harmonies being sung by some of the visitors.
GIFs via Hospice Austin's Christopher House.
And of course, there was clapping.
In a Facebook post, Hospice Austin nurse Lev Baesh remarked on the experience of being in that room.
"I spend half of my days exhausted after working the other half as a hospice nurse. Today, I dragged myself back to the hospice house after three 12+ hour shifts to witness a gift."
And what a wonderful gift it was.
It was a reminder that no matter how dark the world seems at times, there are moments of great beauty and love sprinkled throughout. When times get tough, remember those moments because they give great hope.