Kenzie is facing cancer for the second time. Her one wish for her 13th birthday was to sing ‘Beautiful Things’ on stage with Benson Boone. And it happened.
Brisbane, Australia (12 November 2026) – It all started with Kenzie’s loved ones wanting to do something special for her 13th birthday.
Kenzie Riddle grew up in Upper Highway, Durban. In March 2024, her family emigrated to northern New South Wales, Australia. She had been cancer-free for more than two and a half years when it came back.
She now faces intensive chemotherapy, surgery and months of treatment away from home. Her hospital is in Brisbane, two hours from where they live. That is hard anywhere. In a country you have only just moved to recently, it is harder.
The people who know her describe her as sweet, kind, brave, always thinking of everyone else and rarely complaining. She has a smile that takes over her whole face, and her loved ones call her their little Glow Worm.
Kenzie is loved. She is surrounded by it. Naturally, as she faces this battle, her friends and family wanted to do something special for her 13th birthday.
Her biggest wish was to meet Benson Boone and, if she was very lucky, sing her favourite song, ‘Beautiful Things’, on stage with him, with her best friends beside her.
Her friends, her little sister and her family set up an Instagram account and posted a video of Kenzie sharing her wish, surrounded by her people. They all sang the song together.
“Our beautiful Kenzie is 12, turning 13 next week, and currently undergoing treatment for B-lymphoblastic lymphoma. She’s your BIGGEST fan, and after everything she’s been through, this concert means more to her than we could ever put into words!” the caption read.
The video blew up. It collected thousands of views and comments, many of them tagging Benson. Celebrities got behind it and news outlets shared it.
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At his Brisbane show on Friday night, Kenzie and her friends were invited backstage to meet him…and then she walked out and sang ‘Beautiful Things’ on stage with him! With all of her closest friends and family surrounding them. The look on Kenzie’s face said it all.
Benson later posted the moment on TikTok, explaining that he had seen her video and was happy to make her birthday wish happen.
“She’s perfect.” he wrote.
Watch the very special video below.
View this post on Instagram
After Kenzie’s dream came true, her mom wrote:
“On Friday night, I walked my daughter onto a stage in front of thousands of people. I could feel her nerves. I could see her vulnerability. And then I watched her step forward anyway.”
She thanked Benson and his team for their incredible act of kindness.
“You cheered her on. You cried with us backstage. You made her feel safe, supported and completely herself.”
View this post on Instagram
Kenzie still has a hard road ahead. She faces multiple rounds of high-dose chemotherapy, five days in hospital every 21 days, with surgery planned afterwards. Her family is holding tightly to the positives – the tumour appears to be localised, her doctors see the late recurrence as a good sign, and her heart and kidney function came back far better than feared.
They are also holding on to the people around them – they are surrounded by love. And Kenzie is still glowing from having her wish come true!
“These beautiful things that I’ve got!”
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