Ringo Starr

Ringo: Make-A-Wish Trip Brings Two Starr's Together

It took nearly two years for Lydia Starr's wish to come true, two years she didn't think she had.

The 14-year-old flew to Denver last month through the Make-A-Wish Foundation to meet Ringo Starr, the drummer who has been her lifelong inspiration.

A Beatles fan since she can remember, Lydia (no relation to Ringo) has transformed her Columbia bedroom into a shrine to the Fab Four from an ‘Abbey Road’ sign above the door to a ‘Sgt. Pepper’ blanket draped across her bed.

"For years, Ringo played the drums, and I want to do that. I also wanted to be like him and be famous, I kind of wanted to be a part of it all", she said.

But Lydia thought her wish would remain just that when, in November 1998, she was diagnosed with a rare germ-cell brain tumor. Soon after beginning chemotherapy at Hershey Medical Center, Lydia met a social worker who introduced her to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a group that grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses.

She decided upon her wish, but months passed and the request remained unfulfilled. Lydia went through more grueling chemotherapy and radiation treatments, spending most of seventh grade in the hospital.

The treatments robbed her of most of her sight in one eye and hearing in one ear. At one point during the ordeal, one of her lungs collapsed.

And still no Ringo. But Lydia hung on, and her treatments ended July 7, 1999 which she later discovered was Ringo's birthday. A little more than a year later, a white stretch limo pulled up outside the Starr's house to take them to the airport and then to Denver to see Ringo and his All-Starr Band in concert at Red Rocks.

The trip was, in Lydia's words, a "double-whammy" because she was able to visit with several of her relatives and friends in Denver. The last time she had seen many of them, chemotherapy had robbed her of her of her voice.

On June 28, 1999, Lydia's wish came true when she met Ringo backstage before a concert. He greeted her with a hug, chatted with her family, posed for pictures, and signed everything from T-shirts to drumsticks.

"I thought he might be a bit selfish or stuck up, but he was so incredibly personable," Lydia said.

After about 10 minutes, Ringo had to leave so he could take the stage for a set that included several Beatles standards.

"It was like I finally felt like I fit in somewhere. It was like, With this, I can sing along" Lydia gushed. "It was gorgeous, and their sound system is unreal. There will never be anything like that ever again".

Even if she never gets to meet Ringo again, things are looking up for Lydia. Her life has been packed with activities since she returned from Denver - swim practice every morning and trombone lessons twice a week. She also collects money for her seventh Save-a-Life Swim.

Instead of requiring checkups every month, she now visits the doctor every three months. "She's had more energy than I've seen in years", her mother, Joni Starr, said. And Lydia's Make-A-Wish Experience has given her a new goal in life. Through her school's career-shadowing day, Lydia was able to volunteer for a day with the local Make-A-Wish Foundation office.

"It was so rewarding to work with these terminally ill kids because I can relate to them. And in a way, you're helping an entire family (with Make-a-Wish), no matter what you do. I really want to spend the rest of my future helping these kids". she said.

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