HelloAngel
ONE love, blood, life
<img src=http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/11265bono-n-elsha-closeup2-sml.jpg><br />
<b>By Elsha and Joel Stockseth<br />
2005.12</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Ed. Note: I first saw the Stockseth family at Interference.com's Vegas Vertigo gathering earlier this month. Everyone was decked out in U2 gear, but daughter Elsha, she was the big fan. The next day, waiting outside the MGM Grand Garden Arena, I spoke with Elsha's dad Joel and learned exactly how big of a fan his daughter really is. Like many 20-somethings on Interference.com?s Feedback message board, Elsha goes to school, lives with her parents and has a room covered in U2 art and photos.<br />
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What sets Elsha apart, though, is that she has muscular dystrophy. That hasn't stopped Elsha and her family from catching as many U2 shows as possible this tour and even make Elsha's biggest dream come true?to meet the band.<br />
<br />
After seeing Elsha's pictures, I asked Joel if he would mind sharing them and Elsha's story, originally recounted to the magazine of Utah's Muscular Dystrophy Association, with Interference.com and he agreed. So please enjoy this story of an amazing band and its "Biggest Little Fan." ? Contributing Editor Devlin Smith</i><br />
<br />
My wildest dream in life was to meet Bono and the rest of U2 because I am "The Biggest Little U2 Fan in the World." My parents took me to San Diego in March to see the very first concert of the band's Vertigo Tour. We were waiting in the parking lot that first day and saw them all drive in but none of the members of the band came out to greet us. The day of the second concert we were waiting in the parking lot again and saw The Edge drive in. A few moments later he came walking around the corner and since I was the first one in line, he stopped and talked to me. My mom was crying because she was so excited for me and I had big tears running down my cheeks also. My mom told him that I was so excited to meet him and that is why I was crying. He spent time looking at all of my U2 bracelets and talking to me. He signed the hat that I had designed and I was on cloud nine. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/11265edge-n-elsha2-2005.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br />
<br />
About 20 minutes later Bono's SUV pulled up but it stopped in the middle of the line. Everyone swarmed to be near him. We asked the security people if he would come down to our end and they said that he probably wouldn't and that we should go to the back of the crowd to see if we could get up to him. We went to the back of this big crowd and my hopes dimmed because I was so close but didn't think I would get a chance to meet him. All of a sudden, some of the people we had met in line and knew how much I wanted to meet him shouted out, "Let the little handicapped girl in." It was like Moses parting the Red Sea, everyone moved and a lane opened leading right up to Bono. My mom pushed my chair up to him and he said, "Hello sweetie." My dad handed Bono a page from my scrapbook that shows me reading a book about Bono with the following written on the page: "Meeting Bono the poet, activist, superstar front man, and the man of her dreams: PRICELESS!!!!!!" Bono took time to read this and then signed it and wrote "I love you Elsha, 2005 is our year!" I was crying because this was my dream come true. Bono's bodyguard, John, took my dad's camera and took a picture of Bono with our family. Bono was giving me a hug in the picture. If I could stand, I would have had to sit down because my knees were so weak. It was like a dream and I still can't believe it happened. Here is someone who is known worldwide and involved with helping third world countries get out of debt and also helping poor countries get AIDS funding, yet he was kind enough to take this time with me. He also signed my hat and wrote "a flower for elsha" and drew a little flower on it for me. I was crying because I was so happy and I noticed that some of the people we had met were also crying, too. I know that they were happy for me.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/11265bono-n-elsha-closeup2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br />
<br />
We also went to two concerts in Denver in April. The day of the second concert Bono stopped outside the venue and was greeting everyone in line. When he got to me he said, "I've seen you somewhere before, in a hotel lobby or parking lot or something.? My mom told him that we met in San Diego and he said, "Yes, at the venue, I remember." I couldn't believe he remembered me but, then again, I guess there aren't too many other 21-year-old girls who weigh 34 pounds and ride around in a wheelchair that are also huge U2 fans. My mom told him that I had met him and The Edge in San Diego but that I really wanted to meet the rest of the band, too. Bono said, "We are really busy but we can work on that." He went on down the line greeting the rest of the people and I thought that since he said that, he would be back out with Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton to meet me. I convinced my mom to wait there with me but my dad went to lunch with some other people. Bono did not come back out and I was a little heartbroken. We went into the Pepsi Center and looked around at souvenirs for a while and then took our seats. My mom saw John, Bono's bodyguard, down behind the stage scanning the arena and tried to get his attention.<br />
<br />
It looked as if he was searching for someone. A few moments later some security people came to us and told us that they had been looking for us for an hour because someone in the band wanted to meet us. Just as the warm-up group Kings of Leon was finishing playing, a security person came and took us down the elevator and backstage. We met the CEO of Clear Channel Communications who was waiting with his family to get pictures with U2. As soon as those pictures were taken, Adam came running over to me to greet me. He was followed by Larry and then The Edge who said, "Hello again." I guess he remembered me from San Diego also. Bono came over too and they gathered around me so that my dad could take a picture. By this time the prelude music for them to take the stage had started playing but Bono knew that I wanted Larry and Adam to sign my hat. They had started leaving but Bono called them back and said, "You boys need to sign her hat." They both did and then ran on stage a little late. My wildest dream had come true, I got to meet the whole band and I still can't believe this happened to me. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/11265denver-backstage-with-u2-n-.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br />
<br />
As we were enjoying the concert the band started the prelude music to "Miracle Drug." Bono said "I want to thank the doctors, nurses and medicines that help people," and then he said, "I want to dedicate this song to a little sick girl"?me. My mom and I didn't hear this but my dad did and so did the people we stood in line with that day. They all came over to us after the concert and asked if we had heard that because they all knew that it was me Bono dedicated the song to, even though they didn't know we had gone back stage to meet them. <br />
<br />
I guess that when you "dream out loud" and "Walk On" you are ABLE (Adam, Bono, Larry, Edge) to do anything.<br />
<br />
<i>Many thanks to the Stockseth family for sharing their story and pictures with us!</i>
<b>By Elsha and Joel Stockseth<br />
2005.12</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Ed. Note: I first saw the Stockseth family at Interference.com's Vegas Vertigo gathering earlier this month. Everyone was decked out in U2 gear, but daughter Elsha, she was the big fan. The next day, waiting outside the MGM Grand Garden Arena, I spoke with Elsha's dad Joel and learned exactly how big of a fan his daughter really is. Like many 20-somethings on Interference.com?s Feedback message board, Elsha goes to school, lives with her parents and has a room covered in U2 art and photos.<br />
<br /><!--more-->
What sets Elsha apart, though, is that she has muscular dystrophy. That hasn't stopped Elsha and her family from catching as many U2 shows as possible this tour and even make Elsha's biggest dream come true?to meet the band.<br />
<br />
After seeing Elsha's pictures, I asked Joel if he would mind sharing them and Elsha's story, originally recounted to the magazine of Utah's Muscular Dystrophy Association, with Interference.com and he agreed. So please enjoy this story of an amazing band and its "Biggest Little Fan." ? Contributing Editor Devlin Smith</i><br />
<br />
My wildest dream in life was to meet Bono and the rest of U2 because I am "The Biggest Little U2 Fan in the World." My parents took me to San Diego in March to see the very first concert of the band's Vertigo Tour. We were waiting in the parking lot that first day and saw them all drive in but none of the members of the band came out to greet us. The day of the second concert we were waiting in the parking lot again and saw The Edge drive in. A few moments later he came walking around the corner and since I was the first one in line, he stopped and talked to me. My mom was crying because she was so excited for me and I had big tears running down my cheeks also. My mom told him that I was so excited to meet him and that is why I was crying. He spent time looking at all of my U2 bracelets and talking to me. He signed the hat that I had designed and I was on cloud nine. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/11265edge-n-elsha2-2005.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br />
<br />
About 20 minutes later Bono's SUV pulled up but it stopped in the middle of the line. Everyone swarmed to be near him. We asked the security people if he would come down to our end and they said that he probably wouldn't and that we should go to the back of the crowd to see if we could get up to him. We went to the back of this big crowd and my hopes dimmed because I was so close but didn't think I would get a chance to meet him. All of a sudden, some of the people we had met in line and knew how much I wanted to meet him shouted out, "Let the little handicapped girl in." It was like Moses parting the Red Sea, everyone moved and a lane opened leading right up to Bono. My mom pushed my chair up to him and he said, "Hello sweetie." My dad handed Bono a page from my scrapbook that shows me reading a book about Bono with the following written on the page: "Meeting Bono the poet, activist, superstar front man, and the man of her dreams: PRICELESS!!!!!!" Bono took time to read this and then signed it and wrote "I love you Elsha, 2005 is our year!" I was crying because this was my dream come true. Bono's bodyguard, John, took my dad's camera and took a picture of Bono with our family. Bono was giving me a hug in the picture. If I could stand, I would have had to sit down because my knees were so weak. It was like a dream and I still can't believe it happened. Here is someone who is known worldwide and involved with helping third world countries get out of debt and also helping poor countries get AIDS funding, yet he was kind enough to take this time with me. He also signed my hat and wrote "a flower for elsha" and drew a little flower on it for me. I was crying because I was so happy and I noticed that some of the people we had met were also crying, too. I know that they were happy for me.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/11265bono-n-elsha-closeup2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br />
<br />
We also went to two concerts in Denver in April. The day of the second concert Bono stopped outside the venue and was greeting everyone in line. When he got to me he said, "I've seen you somewhere before, in a hotel lobby or parking lot or something.? My mom told him that we met in San Diego and he said, "Yes, at the venue, I remember." I couldn't believe he remembered me but, then again, I guess there aren't too many other 21-year-old girls who weigh 34 pounds and ride around in a wheelchair that are also huge U2 fans. My mom told him that I had met him and The Edge in San Diego but that I really wanted to meet the rest of the band, too. Bono said, "We are really busy but we can work on that." He went on down the line greeting the rest of the people and I thought that since he said that, he would be back out with Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton to meet me. I convinced my mom to wait there with me but my dad went to lunch with some other people. Bono did not come back out and I was a little heartbroken. We went into the Pepsi Center and looked around at souvenirs for a while and then took our seats. My mom saw John, Bono's bodyguard, down behind the stage scanning the arena and tried to get his attention.<br />
<br />
It looked as if he was searching for someone. A few moments later some security people came to us and told us that they had been looking for us for an hour because someone in the band wanted to meet us. Just as the warm-up group Kings of Leon was finishing playing, a security person came and took us down the elevator and backstage. We met the CEO of Clear Channel Communications who was waiting with his family to get pictures with U2. As soon as those pictures were taken, Adam came running over to me to greet me. He was followed by Larry and then The Edge who said, "Hello again." I guess he remembered me from San Diego also. Bono came over too and they gathered around me so that my dad could take a picture. By this time the prelude music for them to take the stage had started playing but Bono knew that I wanted Larry and Adam to sign my hat. They had started leaving but Bono called them back and said, "You boys need to sign her hat." They both did and then ran on stage a little late. My wildest dream had come true, I got to meet the whole band and I still can't believe this happened to me. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/11265denver-backstage-with-u2-n-.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br />
<br />
As we were enjoying the concert the band started the prelude music to "Miracle Drug." Bono said "I want to thank the doctors, nurses and medicines that help people," and then he said, "I want to dedicate this song to a little sick girl"?me. My mom and I didn't hear this but my dad did and so did the people we stood in line with that day. They all came over to us after the concert and asked if we had heard that because they all knew that it was me Bono dedicated the song to, even though they didn't know we had gone back stage to meet them. <br />
<br />
I guess that when you "dream out loud" and "Walk On" you are ABLE (Adam, Bono, Larry, Edge) to do anything.<br />
<br />
<i>Many thanks to the Stockseth family for sharing their story and pictures with us!</i>
I had no idea how wonderfully perfect this meeting was! I had the pleasure of meeting Elsha and her parents in San Diego and Vegas. In Vegas Elsha mentioned meeting the band but never gave me details! 
