Sterling Regional High School senior Kevin McGuire is giddy for his date Sunday.
In Las Vegas. At the Academy of Country Music Awards. With Taylor Swift.
“I know, it’s insane,” McGuire said Thursday before taking a deep breath. “I need to start packing. … I don’t even have a suitcase. That’s how delayed I am.”
However, preparations are difficult to make when you are living day to day.
In his second bout with cancer, the Stratford teenager says he has fought his leukemia into remission with loads of chemotherapy and positivity, boosted by an affirmative answer from Swift.
In Las Vegas. At the Academy of Country Music Awards. With Taylor Swift.
“I know, it’s insane,” McGuire said Thursday before taking a deep breath. “I need to start packing. … I don’t even have a suitcase. That’s how delayed I am.”
However, preparations are difficult to make when you are living day to day.
In his second bout with cancer, the Stratford teenager says he has fought his leukemia into remission with loads of chemotherapy and positivity, boosted by an affirmative answer from Swift.
“It’s always great to be in remission but just because it’s in remission doesn’t (excuse me) from chemo and stuff,” McGuire, 18, said. “Last week kicked my butt. Last week I was in chemo five days a week for five hours a day.”
After a 20-day stay at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, McGuire has returned to his Stratford household, receiving treatment from an outpatient unit in Voorhees.
In a bit of happenstance, McGuire received good news toward the end of last week’s 25 hours of chemotherapy.
“I got a two-week break (from chemotherapy) and it just so happened it’s for this weekend,” he says. “I’m in great spirits.”
However great he feels, McGuire knows until he boards the plane with his family Saturday, his status is “up in the air.”
“I was excited,” says McGuire, before correcting himself. “I am excited … but I’m trying to prepare myself in case my counts are too low.”
Counts of blood cells and hemoglobin need to be strong to ensure McGuire can make the 2,500-mile trip to Las Vegas, site of the 47th Academy of Country Music Awards.
Swift has taken care of the trip’s remaining details.
Through her people, the 22-year-old superstar has provided McGuire with a tuxedo and shoes, airfare for him and his family, and hotel accommodations.
But it was Swift’s initial gesture to take Kevin to the awards show that made a fan out of his grandmother, Dolores McGuire.
“She must be a great person to care that much for my grandson,” the elder McGuire says. “I just bought two of her CDs.”
Kevin McGuire, who was first diagnosed with cancer as a 13-year-old, thought he had defeated the illness in 2010. This time, he has not fought cancer alone.
“I was on Facebook a lot in the hospital, and all these friend requests and this overwhelming response from people that I don’t even know. It’s just, I believe positivity in your head is just as much help as your chemo is.
“And all these people saying ‘Good job!’ and ‘We’re proud of you’ … it’s been the perfect medicine for me to get out of there.”
McGuire believes the power of social media pales in comparison to the will of his older sister, Victoria McGuire.
Within a week of creating the Facebook event page “Taylor Swift take KEVIN MCGUIRE TO PROM!,” Victoria got the attention of more than 100,000 supporters, including Swift. The page has more than 128,000 people.
“My sister is amazing,” McGuire says. “She will not stop until she gives me the world.”
On Feb. 24, Swift responded on her Facebook page: “Kevin, I'm so sorry but I won't be able to make it to your prom,” the singer wrote. “But I was wondering, the (Academy of Country Music) Awards are coming up...Would you be my date? Love, Taylor.”
While short of a love story, Swift’s gesture raised awareness of Kevin’s wish, ensuring he at least wouldn’t be going stag to his second fight with cancer.
In an instant, the Twitter hashtag “Team Kevin” was trending and his story was viral.
Safe to say, there has been no shortage of support — or girls willing to fill in for Swift at the prom.
“He has had so many girls from other states contacting him on Facebook, saying they’d take him to the prom a couple thousand miles away and ‘I’ll fly myself into Jersey’,” says McGuire’s cousin Nicole Durand of Somerdale, who monitors the Facebook page.
Though flattered by the response, McGuire says he’s taken.
“A week or so ago, my one friend (Meghan Kelly) decided to go together,” says McGuire, “so luckily I have a date.”
But McGuire says he cannot afford to look ahead to the June prom.
“I’ve been living day by day, but mainly this past couple weeks I’ve been doing the best I can to not get sick, or mess up,” he says. “I’m still kind of living in the moment and the best I can for Taylor.”
The South Jersey community has been making sure he lives for many more moments.
In support of Kevin McGuire, family and friends will show up at his former place of work at Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar in Voorhees Sunday to watch the Academy of Country Music Awards telecast.
All 14 Applebee locations in South Jersey will be donating 10 percent of all proceeds after 8 p.m. to Team Kevin and tuning into the award show, says Jennifer Rouse, South Jersey spokesperson for Applebee’s.
“At all locations we’ll be airing the Country Music Awards and the red carpet (show), so people can watch and hopefully watch Kevin walk the red carpet with Taylor,” Rouse says.
Richeez Italian Restaurant & Tavern in Hi-Nella will roll out a red carpet for McGuire’s relatives, classmates and other supporters at 6 p.m. Sunday, although those under legal drinking age will be shown the door by 9 p.m.
“We’re doing a red carpet party, we’re going to charge $5 donation to benefit Team Kevin,” says Denise Harris, a manager at the Hi-Nella bar.
Along with a complimentary buffet, guests can watch the broadcast and buy “Team Kevin” T-shirts and sweatshirts from family members.
“It’s just the right thing to do,” Harris says. “We are part of this community. This kid has been through so much … anything we can do to help, to make one minute easier on him and his family is a good thing.”
Kevin says Victoria McGuire and their 10-year-old brother Michael are close, but the pending results from a bone-marrow test will tell if either is compatible for a bone-marrow transplant.
“I can go two or three years with a chemo plan, or I can go with a bone-marrow transplant,” he said.
Each sibling has a 25 percent chance of having a matching blood type and tissue antigens, he says.
“And if they both match, they say they will be fighting over who will be the one to donate,” Kevin McGuire says. “It’s kind of funny.”
Positives may be hard to come by for someone dealing with cancer but McGuire finds them when listening to Swift.
A fan of Swift’s music and humility, McGuire isn’t sure what he and his date will discuss but, as always with Swift, he’s happy to listen.
Naturally, some questions have occurred to him during his month of anticipation.
“I believe there’s going to be an after party,” says McGuire with a hint of uncertainly, adding that his mother and sister know more about the night itinerary. “I’m just a pretty face in this situation.”
Paula Erickson, publicist for Swift, declined to comment on the night’s itinerary.
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