Disney Channel star Sofia Carson surprised one her biggest fans during Thursday’s episode of “The View” and brought tears to everyone’s eyes.
Mya Lamarche, a 15-year-old with a brain tumor, spoke about her love of Carson while appearing on the ABC morning show with her mother to talk about her illness, not knowing who was waiting for her just backstage.
The teen suffers from a condition called Neurofibromatosis type 2, which causes tumors to grow on nerves, typically located in the brain and spine. She was diagnosed with the condition after doctors found a tumor during a corrective eye surgery.
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Mya had the tumor removed when she was six years old. After a few good years, more tumors began to grow. The tumors can impact facial movement, feeling, swallowing and vision.
The family decided to pursue chemotherapy for Mya, and she’s had 87 treatments so far.
Mya’s mother, Tanya Lamarche, said the disease has impacted Mya both physically and mentally.
“Mya used to be a social butterfly. That’s the part that’s difficult for me, because she’s isolated herself,” Lamarche said.
Despite her health struggles, Mya remains grateful.
“I just think about people that could have it worse than I do,” she said. “Some people can’t walk, some people can’t swallow their food, some people, they’re stuck at the hospital.”
Mya said she’s still a normal 15-year-old girl who loves coloring, dancing, dogs and the “Descendants” movie franchise. Her favorite actress is Carson, who plays Evie in the franchise.
“I love Sofia Carson because she teaches me everyday to be happy,” Mya said.
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“The View” host Whoopi Goldberg then welcomed Carson to the stage.
“You made my wish come true,” Carson said as she hugged Mya.
Carson said Mya is a hero and she was honored to be there.
“I think there are few more important things in the world than the privilege of being able to make Mya smile,” Carson said.
The encounter left Mya speechless and smiling widely, but the surprise was not over. Carson revealed that they were also gifting Mya a custom “Descendants” costume.
The surprise was part of Disney‘s partnership with Make-A-Wish, entitled World Wish Day. The organizations began the partnership in 1980 and together they have granted wishes for more than 155,000 with critical illnesses.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.