Drake surprises Nashville cancer survivor with $100,000 gift, calls her 'a true soldier'
Lauren Schwallier almost didn't go to the Drake concert in Nashville after spending five hours at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for bone and CT scans. But on Wednesday evening, she decided to go to the show, and it changed her life forever.
Drake came to Nashville for two evenings of shows on Wednesday and Thursday with J. Cole and Lil Durk as part of his 2024 "It's All A Blur - Big As The What? Tour." Midway through the show, Drake had just finished song "God's Plan."
He dove into a sentimental speech about making the day of your neighbors, asking the audience to turn to someone they didn't know in the crowd and to give them a hug. "Somebody loves you," Drake reminded everyone in the crowd. "Where's the love, Nashville?" Next, he showed the love.
Schwallier, a 33-year-old Nashvillian, stood in the pit near the stage, holding a sign in the crowd that read "Just Finished Chemo." Schwallier has been fighting off breast cancer since March 2022 and just finished her last round of chemo.
Fans in the crowd around Schwallier pointed their cell phone lights at her sign. "I see everybody pointing to this sign and I can't miss it," Drake said. "So, bring her to the front real quick. 'Cause this is an important moment."
Drake asked for the cameras to show Schwallier's sign to the crowd, displaying her on the jumbotron. "Listen, forget Drake, forget anybody else in the building right now. That’s a true soldier right there.”
"I hope my manager doesn't kill me 'cause I've never really done this much, but, listen, I want you to cash this in at the end of the night," he said, handing her a receipt.
"We're gonna give you $100,000." The crowd cheered in response to Schwallier's story and Drake's gift.
"I love you and I wish you the best," he concluded. "Nashville, make some noise for her one more time."
Schwallier told The Tennessean, "One thing led to another and I was at the front of the stage and Drake blew me a kiss and told me that he loved me! That's all I was focused on... and then just like the money on top of it is just insane."
Now, Schwallier is in communication with Drake's team and they will reach back out about the details of his gift next week.
Schwallier is still waiting for the results of her scans to see if she is cancer free and will have to undergo at least two operations over the next year, one to stop the potential spread of cancer to her stomach in the future.
Though she knows a challenge or two may lie ahead, she's feeling positive—and after last night, the kindness she experienced and warmth she felt has made her feel even more positive, she said.
To read a full review of the first night of Drake's Nashville shows, click here.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Drake surprises Nashville cancer survivor with $100K gift
