Clay Walker Helps Cancer Survivor Check Off Bucket List Item [Watch]
Clay Walker went out of his way to create an unforgettably special moment for a fan who is celebrating after beating breast cancer.
Jessica and Cliff Wilder are longtime fans of the singer, and his song "This Woman and This Man" played on their first date in 1994. The high school sweethearts also had it as the soundtrack to their first dance at their wedding, and it's always been a special song for the couple.
Jessica was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, and after nine grueling months of treatments, she defeated the disease, finishing her final radiation treatment on March 9. To celebrate, Cliff surprised Jessica with a week-long getaway that included taking in a concert from Walker. The couple made the 12-hour drive from their home in Middlesex, N.C. to Biloxi, Miss. for the show, and Walker helped Cliff stage a surprise for his wife, who had no idea that her husband had made a special bucket list shirt for the occasion.
The singer put the spotlight on the couple and shared their story with the crowd, telling them that the shirt had checked boxes for finishing chemo and finishing radiation, but there was still an unchecked box beside "See Clay Walker sing 'This Woman and This Man.'" The singer borrowed a Sharpie and personally checked that box before performing the song for the Wilders.
“You will never know how special the moment was for my wife," Cliff says. "She didn't know anything about the shirt until he actually sang 'This Woman and This Man' because I had a shirt over it, and all I wanted was to surprise her and maybe get a thumbs up or something from Clay Walker. Not in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought it would have turned into this. I still can't watch the video without crying. Thank you, Clay, the band and everyone so much for everything. I can't say thanks enough.”
“Moments like this, that I shared with Cliff and Jessica, is why we as entertainers do what we do. I will never forget the absolute joy on their faces and being a part of something so wonderful in their lives,” Walker says. “I am forever grateful to my fans for all of their love and support and cherish the moments I get to give back to them.”
The special moment helped Cliff create a lasting memory for Jessica. "It was a night she deserved and will never forget," he says.
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