Jon Bon Jovi helped a fan who has cancer realize a lifetime dream when he joined her for a surprise meal at his restaurant.
Carol Cesario, who has stage 4 lung cancer, was completely stunned on Friday when the rock star showed up at her table while she was dining with friends and family at his JBJ Soul Kitchen eatery in Toms River, New Jersey.
An online video of the meeting, which can be seen below, shows the mother of four shouting out "Oh my God!" as she turns around to see the rocker standing just inches away and looking directly at her.
Cesario, who has endured repeated stays in hospital over the last five months, struggles to say a thing as her idol sits down beside her. He then reaches out to clasp her hand and they begin to talk.
"She has been randomly crying since it happened," Cesario's daughter, Rosie Skripkunis, told The Huffington Post via email on Monday. "I think she's still in shock."
The heartwarming surprise came about after Skripkunis posted this photograph of her mom on Facebook on June 1:
The image soon went viral and came to the attention of members of Bon Jovi's team, who contacted Skripkunis to begin planning the meet-up. But Skripkunis decided to keep it a secret from her mom.
"I lied to her," Skripkunis told NBC Connecticut. "I told her I wrote to his restaurant, that they said they couldn't pass fan mail on, but they had invited us for a free meal. It was a free meal, but it was a free meal with Bon Jovi there."
Bon Jovi spent more than an hour with Cesario and her family, and also gave her a signed book and guitar.
"This has been one of the best days of our family's life," Skripkunis later posted on Facebook. "Seeing my mom this happy filled me with so much joy."
"She's been sleeping with [the book], so right now she's feeling pretty good," Skripkunis told HuffPost. "Hanging out with Jon was amazing. He was so down-to-earth and sweet to our whole family, and especially to our mom."
