Young Cancer Victim Lives His Dream of Going To Disney World

Twenty-one-year old Terrance Calvert is battling stage-four kidney cancer, but he didn’t let that stop him from achieving one of his goals, to make it to Disney World with the Upper Darby Shooting Stars one more time.

Terrance is a member of the elite show choir performers called the Shooting Stars. These talented singers and dancers from area high schools, including Haverford High School as reported in , are the flagship of the Upper Darby Summer Stage Theater program.

They perform all year round, and highlight the award winning Summer Stage program. These talented entertainers must audition to be accepted into the elite performance group and are held to the highest standards of the highly acclaimed Summer Stage program.

But unlike many in the group, Terrance had to overcome other obstacles, such as having a difficult childhood.

“Growing up in foster care and being adopted comes with its own set of challenges. I had bouts of anger throughout childhood, which caused problems in every area of my life. For so long, I had no foundation, no core family feeling. I felt like the ball in a pinball machine, just bouncing from place to place. But Summer Stage and Shooting Stars changed all that. I could be myself here and I was accepted. The Summer Stage program gave me the foundation of confidence that I was lacking and it helped shape who I am today,” he says.

Terrance has been a member of the Shooting Stars since 2007. Now, at age 21, he is one of the senior members of the group and this is his last year performing with them. Diagnosed last year with kidney cancer, one of Terrance’s goals was to perform in Disney World once again with the Shooting Stars. Terrance was with the group in 2009 when then last performed in Disney World. 

With his cancer having spread to his legs, Terrance must use crutches and a wheelchair to get around. While he was unable to perform with the group onstage, he was able to participate in the performing arts workshop designed to show the Shooting Stars what it is like to be a performer in Disney World.

He spoke of his ordeals to The Haverford-Havertown Patch in a July feature article.

Officials at Disney World were happy to make his trip a little more meaningful with special visits with the Disney characters and a behind the scenes look at the inner workings of Disney World.

Robyn Ridout, a performing arts manager for Disney, arranged one of the special visits. Ridout arranged a visit from Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Pluto at the workshop for the Shooting Stars. Terrance was able to bring his new Disney friends onstage to meet his fellow shooting stars.

Ridout was touched by Terrance and the Shooting Stars group.

“We are always happy here at Disney but we are especially happy when we can provide such a wonderful moment for someone like Terrance,” Ridout told Patch.

Talent Group Coordinator Jeff Girault went out of his way to make sure Terrance had a once in a lifetime experience at Disney. Jeff arranged special transportation within the park and special seating at shows to help make Terrance’s visit more enjoyable. He arranged a special meeting with Disney cast members from Beauty and the Beast, including Belle, Terrance’s favorite Disney princess.

Terrance was touched by all the special outings arranged for him and said, “This trip was really awesome and I am glad to be able to be here with my friends.”

Harry Dietzler, executive director of the Upper Darby Summer Stage program, which features the Shooting Stars, said, “I wanted this trip to be special for Terrance and I think we did that.”

Terrance has a couple of other special wishes on his list, he wants to meet actor Will Smith and President Barack Obama.

The Upper Darby Summer Stage program held a benefit in early August to help Terrance with rising medical costs not covered by insurance and they raised nearly $18,000 dollars.

Donations are still being accepted and checks can be sent to Upper Darby Summer Stage, 601 North Lansdowne Avenue,  Drexel Hill, Pa. 19082. Checks should be made out to “Backstage Pass” and in the memo section write “Terrance Calvert."

For more information on Upper Darby Summer Stage, visit www.udpac.org