A “One Direction” wish come true

One Direction has fans all over the world, including a little girl at the Montreal Children’s hospital.

Iman Merali is going to see One Direction Thursday night, but unlike most teenagers, she has had to overcome some extraordinary obstacles to get there.

On the cusp of her sixteenth birthday, Iman is planning to enjoy the next 24 hours like there’s no tomorrow.

“How long she’ll survive, we’ve talked about death; things that I don’t really expect to talk about but we… we do…,” said Nash Hirani, Iman’s mother.

Unlike most 16-year-old girls, Iman is facing an unusual battle. She’s fighting cancer, a rare form that only affects about three people a year at the Children’s.

“Rhabdomyosarcoma is a cancer that children get anywhere in their body and it starts in the muscle fibres,” explained oncologist Sharon Abish.

In Iman’s case, it started in her foot three years ago.

At the time, she thought it was an injury she got during gymnastics practice – but the pain wouldn’t go away.

Since then, it has spread to her spine and her brain.

“She’s a very strong girl,” said Hirani. “She’s a fighter. And she said she’ll fight to her last breath.”

Iman first started losing her hair from radiation and chemotherapy in 2011. She was 14-years-old.

Just when her hair was finally starting to grow back, she discovered the cancer had come back.

Now, this is her third time being treated at the Children’s.

Her mother said she has had about half a dozen treatments, including removing a tumour from her brain and inserting a feeding tube.

“Whatever length of time that I have I’m really grateful for it,” said Hirani. “Because there are parents who never get to say goodbye to their kids.”

Between cancer treatments, Iman feeds her One Direction obsession through social media. She’s been on her twitter feed non-stop, just hoping for the chance to meet the band when they swing by July 4th, 2013.

“They’re good looking… they can sing… and they have really catchy songs,” she said smiling.

Global visited Iman in the hospital to give her tickets to the show.

The band’s management never got back to us about a possible meet-up, but there’s still time until the concert Thursday night.

Iman has already overcome some remarkable obstacles and she says she’ll continue spending every day in the belief that anything is possible.