Jen, an 18-year-old girl who became paraplegic after a serious car accident in 2019, realized one of her biggest dreams at this summer’s Osheaga Festival: to meet her idol, Billie Eilish, before seeing her at a concert.
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In 2019, Jen Leitch was involved in a serious traffic accident that left her paraplegic. Several difficult months in intensive care followed. Since her trachea was affected, among other things, the young woman had to relearn how to speak. Singer Billie Eilish played an important role in his rehabilitation, if not his survival; The lyrics to her songs (especially the 30th song, which happens to be about a car accident) motivate her to stay alive and keep fighting.
That’s why Jen, who is originally from Ontario, expressed a desire to attend a show by her idol with the Make-A-Wish Canada Foundation.
Courtesy of Benoit Rousseau
“The Evenko Foundation received a request to welcome Jen to the Osheaga Festival,” said Nathalie Roberge, executive director of the Evenko Foundation. We said to each other, of course, but why not try to get him to know Billie Eilish as well as fulfilling his dream of seeing his concert? We’ve got our hands on this surprise game.
It was Nathalie Roberge who personally wrote a two-page request that was sent through Evenko’s programming department to the singer’s team to tell Jen’s story and request an interview.
“We knew by 5 p.m. Friday night that Jen was going to meet Billie Eilish,” says Nathalie Roberge, who then asked Jen’s mom to keep it a secret.
Photo provided by the Evenko Foundation
Surprise, tears and hugs
“When Jen found out she could talk to her idol, we all started crying,” she adds.
The meeting between Jen and the 21-year-old American singer-songwriter lasted about ten minutes. Ten minutes of tears, hugs, intimacy and photos that immortalize this powerful and magical moment in the private setting of the small village where the artists are welcomed to the festival.
Another precious moment: Jen’s companions Andréanne and Emy had made pearl bracelets with the inscription “TEAM JEN” and presented one to the star. She wore it proudly on stage during her show. The singer also gifted Jen a signed t-shirt.
Courtesy of Tim Snow
“We didn’t dare to be in their bubble when they talked to each other,” continues the director of the Evenko Foundation. But I do know that she told Billie that her songs were important to her rehabilitation.
Jen, her mom and her friends haven’t come down from their Billie Eilish/Osheaga cloud yet. Taking to Instagram, the girl shared her photo with her idol and wrote: “I never thought I would meet the woman who helped me through the most difficult times of my life. No words could describe how much she means to me.”
As well as VIP access throughout the three days of the festival, Jen was able to count on a dedicated team to ensure her travel, comfort and smooth VIP experience.
Resourceful and proactive, Jen had also taken the initiative to reach out to British singer Tom Odell on Instagram. The artist agreed to meet her, offered her a signed t-shirt and also wore her TEAM JEN bracelet on stage, in addition to a small greeting from the audience.
Courtesy of Andréanne Campagna
The Evenko Foundation
The evenko foundation has existed since 2015. The ambassador is TV and radio presenter Anne-Marie Withenshaw, who has been on the board since it was founded.
The main task of the Evenko Foundation is to give young people access to music, especially through music education. Several artists, including Charlotte Cardin and Gab Bouchard, have worked with the Foundation over the years, delivering instruments to schools and sometimes even meeting students in class. The foundation plans to reach one million donated instruments in the 2023-2024 school year.