“I Made It”: How One Girl’s Final Wish to See Wicked Became a Miracle of Hope

Brielle Bird wasn’t supposed to make it this far.

Doctors had given her a grim timeline — warning her family that stage four neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of childhood cancer, was winning the battle. By summer, her small frame had grown weary. Her bones ached, her energy waned, and every breath came with a quiet struggle. But there was something inside Brielle that even the cancer couldn’t touch: her will to live, her love of magic, and the sparkle in her eye every time someone mentioned Wicked.

“She never stopped smiling,” said her mother, Kelsey Bird. “Even when she was too tired to speak, she’d look up at me and mouth, ‘Defying gravity.’ It wasn’t just her favorite song—it was her mantra.”

A Dream Too Big for Time

For years, Wicked had captivated Brielle. She wasn’t just a fan—she was enchanted. The friendship between Glinda and Elphaba, the triumph of goodness, the colors, the music—it spoke to something deep in her. Her bedroom was a swirl of emerald and pink. Her wheelchair wore glittered decals that read “I’m with Glinda.” And whenever the treatments got too hard, she’d ask for her favorite scene to be played: “Popular.”

But as August came and went, and as her body grew frailer, the family knew the dream of seeing Wicked—on screen or on stage—was slipping further away. Broadway was too far. Travel was impossible. And the release of the upcoming Wicked movie was still months out.

Time, it seemed, was the one villain even Glinda couldn’t charm.

A Plea for Magic

In late September, Brielle’s older sister, Harper, took a chance. She wrote a letter. Then she posted a video on social media explaining her sister’s story, and tagged everyone she could think of — from cast members to the production team, to strangers with big hearts and bigger platforms.

“We’re not asking for the world,” Harper said through tears in the video. “We’re just asking for a little piece of it, for my sister.”

The response was quiet at first. A few retweets. Some kind words. But then, on October 7th, everything changed.

The Studio That Said Yes

A producer at Universal Pictures saw the video. And instead of forwarding it or filing it away, they picked up the phone.

Two days later, the Birds got the call: Universal was arranging a private screening of the upcoming Wicked film for Brielle—unfinished edits and all. The team would set up a special viewing at a theater close to home. It wasn’t about premieres or red carpets. It was about one girl. One dream. One final wish.

When the family told Brielle, she burst into tears.

“She just kept saying, ‘I made it. I made it,’” said her dad, Chris. “That moment… it was the first time in weeks we saw her forget the pain.”

A Night of Pure Magic

The screening was held at a small theater in Salt Lake City on October 14. Outside, the marquee read: Welcome, Brielle. Balloons in pink and green floated at the entrance. Inside, the seats were filled with family, friends, nurses, teachers, and even a few strangers who had followed her journey online.

Brielle arrived in a pink Glinda dress custom-made by a local seamstress. Her face was tired, but her smile was radiant.

She clutched her popcorn, looked around the room, and whispered, “This is what flying feels like.”

The theater went dark. The opening notes of Wicked began to play.

And for the next two hours, Brielle laughed, gasped, and sang along softly—even through the tears that streamed down her cheeks.

By the time the credits rolled, no one in the room was dry-eyed.

“She lived her dream,” said Harper. “Not just watched it—lived it.”

The Goodbye That Changed People

Brielle passed away quietly at home three days later, in her sleep, surrounded by her family and her plush flying monkeys.

The morning after her death, the Wicked cast released a statement honoring her: “Brielle defied gravity in every sense. Her courage inspired our entire team. We will carry her magic with us.”

Thousands of people—many who never met her—have since shared her story. #ForBrielle trended on TikTok and Instagram, with fans sharing videos of themselves singing “For Good” in her honor.

Universal confirmed that Brielle’s screening was the first and only private showing granted before the film’s official release.

But for them, the choice was easy.

“She reminded us what storytelling is about,” said the producer who made the call. “Giving hope. Giving light. And reminding people that even in the darkest moments, magic is still real.”

A Legacy in Laughter, Love, and Lyrics

Brielle Bird was only seven years old. But in those seven years, she touched more lives than many do in seventy.

She didn’t get a long life—but she got a full one. She got to fly. She got to sing. And more importantly, she got to remind the world that sometimes, the most powerful stories aren’t found on screens—but in the hearts of those who dare to dream.

And for Brielle, that was more than enough.