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08/19/2016 12:00 AMGuilford resident Chloe Mason-Mann received quite the surprise earlier this month when local celebrity and American Idol winner Nick Fradiani stopped by to wish her a happy eighth birthday.
Chloe, who has Down syndrome and was diagnosed with leukemia in January of this year, is a big Fradiani fan according to her mother, Amy Mason-Mann. She said the family attended the concert on the green last year and Fradiani sent Chloe a video message when she was first in the hospital this winter.
“After the release of his new album, Chloe became an even bigger fan of Nick’s, listening to and learning all the words to his news songs,” she said.
But Chloe never expected Fradiani would stop by to see her. Mason-Mann said it was a big surprise for the whole family.
“My husband and I found out the night before but we didn’t tell anybody,” she said. “It was a big surprise. His father came in, Nick Fradiani Sr., and sang happy birthday to her and then said something like oh I know someone who can sing better than me let me get him and then Nick came walking in and greeted her.”
Chloe was a bit star-struck when she met Fradiani on Aug. 12, but Mason-Mann said she quickly warmed up to him.
“She was a little shy about it,” she said. “She didn’t run up to him but he had sent her a video back when she was fist diagnosed so he said do you remember me from the video and she said yes. He gave her a teddy bear with his CD signed and then he gave her a hug. It was really sweet.”
Fradiani played his hit song “Beautiful Life” for Chloe.
“She sat on her dad’s lap and he sat right next to her and sang to her,” she said.
Mason-Mann said Chloe was thrilled with her birthday surprise.
“She definitely loved watching the videos we have of him singing to her and she sang to him too so that was really cool,” she said.
Chloe has a difficult few months ahead. Mason-Mann said she is due to start a new round of treatment later this month.
“She is doing really well right now,” she said. “She is in-between treatments and she starts the next phase on Aug. 30 which is suppose to be probably the hardest phase we have had. She is expected to get pretty sick actually so it is hard waiting for that.”
To learn more about Chloe, visit her Facebook page Fight for Chloe at www.facebook.com/fightforchloe