9-Year-Old with Stage 4 Cancer Celebrates ‘Wicked’ Release

A young Wicked fan with cancer got to return to Oz!

Over the weekend, as the sequel to the hit movie-musical opened in theaters, Brie Bird, a 9-year-old whose mom has documented her journey with stage 4 cancer on social media, celebrated the premiere date from her home.

In September, Brie and her family had the opportunity to attend an early private screening of Wicked: For Good because its November release “seemed so far away” amid her health status at the time. But on Friday, Brie’s mom Kendra shared on Instagram that her daughter had beaten the doctor’s odds.

“We made it to premiere day! 🩷💚,” wrote Brie’s mom Kendra in an Instagram post on Friday, Nov. 21. “November 21st seemed impossible back in September, but here we are, defying gravity!”

Kendra noted that, given her daughter’s health status, it was unlikely that their family would be able to make it out to a local theater to see the movie again, but shared that Brie was “coloring, singing Wicked songs, and telling me all the stories.”

Brie’s story first caught the attention of the Wicked cast back in August, when Ariana Grande surprised her with a care package of goodies based on the Broadway musical, including plush versions of the characters and Wicked-themed OPI nail polishes, as well as makeup from the “thank u, next” singer’s beauty brand r.e.m.

The cast continued to send Brie their love, sharing kind comments on Kendra’s post about attending a private screening in September.

“we love you so ♡ 🫧sweet, amazing girl,” Grande wrote.

“Sweet sweet girl thank you for spending your time with us, your love of this movie and of us means the world,” added Cynthia Erivo. “I hope that we bought you a little joy. I hope that this film has made you believe you can fly as made you believe that anything is possible we love you to the moon and back. 💚💚”

In early October, Kendra shared that the Bird family had celebrated Christmas early after her daughter’s health had “taken a turn” — decorating their home with presents lining their fireplace and a Christmas tree.

“We will be celebrating our last Christmas together, as a family of 6,” wrote Kendra in a post on Instagram at the time. “I am still in denial. I want the miracle SO desperately.”

Kendra shared on Instagram later that month that “every day feels heavy” as she continued to grapple with her daughter’s health status.

“As much as I want the miracle so badly, l feel like the ‘realistic’ part of my mind is grasping for my heart, trying to pull it back into my chest, and tell my soul that I need to surrender,” she wrote, adding that Brie had “been sleeping for most of the week, she’s retaining water in her face, feet and belly, she doesn’t eat anymore, and is on oxygen pretty regularly.”

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In her most recent update on Brie’s condition, posted to Instagram on Nov. 24, Kendra wrote that Brie and her other children “adopted” stuffed animals before they went to bed that night, making a wish before filling their animal with fluff.

Sharing Brie’s wish, Kendra wrote: “With her frail arms, she slowly brought the heart to her lips, and so softly, and with all the strength she had, she whispered, ‘I wish that my cancer will go away, that I’ll be able to walk again, and that I’ll get to be a mom before I die.’

“Between every phrase was a heavy breath, one that took a lot of concentration to take,” continued the mom. “She tucked the heart inside her kitten, I leaned into her cheek and said, ‘That’s the perfect wish. I hope for that too!’ And she fell asleep.”