Friday, March 21, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

COLUMN: Norm!

Teen cancer victim gets power to go on from her 'angel' Dion

Stephanie Richardson, a cancer victim and former Eldorado cheerleader, attended Celine Dion's "Oprah" taping Saturday. COURTESY PHOTO

This was the day former Eldorado High School cheerleader Stephanie Richardson had lived for.

The ecstatic 17-year-old had a front-row seat at Celine Dion's "Oprah" taping on Saturday with her parents, Tammy and Jim Richardson.

"We started crying when the show started, and we stopped when it was over," said Stephanie's mother.

Forgotten for a few hours was Stephanie's worsening brain cancer that has left her unable to walk since June, a month after having a stroke during volleyball practice. This was a jolt of pure joy 10 times more powerful than chemo sickness.

"She cried and sang every song Celine sang. She's been a Celine fan since the third or fourth grade, when she got `Beauty and the Beast,' " said the mother of seven.

Stephanie's health was sinking in August. A tumor near the brainstem ruled out surgery.

Then, a day after she got "a really bad diagnosis," the telephone rang at the Richardsons' home on Sunrise Mountain. It was Dion calling from Montreal.

"Celine talked for 15 minutes," said Tammy Richardson. "I was just dumbfounded that she would call my child to wish her well and hang in there. She told Stephanie she loved her. Stephanie had gotten such bad news the day before.

"After that she felt so much better for such a long time. She (Celine) is Stephanie's angel."

That call came after Stephanie's cheer coach, Shawnna Scott, spent months trying to make something happen.

With luck, something else might happen on Saturday. Stephanie's friend Amber Phillipson is an usher at The Colosseum, Celine's new home at Caesars Palace, and she's taking Stephanie and Tammy to Dion's latest preview.

Two more tumors were discovered recently, but Stephanie continues to fight.

Her mother is certain she knows why.

"When she came out of ICU, she said, `I can't die, I haven't met Celine yet.' "

The Scene and Heard

Mirage headliner Danny Gans is closing his Tuesday show to attend Celine's opening night "and show support," according to manager Chip Lightman. ...

Whit Carver, a retired Air Force pilot who flew an F-117 stealth bomber in the 1991 Gulf War, told the Big Kahuna and Shari Singer (KQOL-FM, 93.1) Thursday that U.S. pilots had a special payload when they bombed suspected terrorist training sites in Iraq. "We took MREs (Meal Ready to Eat) that had pork in them and duct-taped them to bombs. We called them `pork bombs.' Not only did we kill them, but we sent them to hell at the same time." Contact with pork is against the Muslim religion. ...

Five alumni join The Second City's 1,000th show at the Flamingo, which will be celebrated at the 10:30 p.m. show Saturday. The quintet: Fred Willard, Rachel Dratch of "Saturday Night Live," Neil Flynn, now on "Scrubs," Larry Campbell of "According to Jim," and Rich Talarico, head writer on "Mad TV."

Sightings

The cast of "O" at Dion's preview Wednesday ... Flamingo headliner Gladys Knight, on Tuesday's "American Idol" show as a judge with Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson.

The Punch Line

"You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, and Germany doesn't want to go to war." -- Anonymous Internet humor.

Norm Clarke's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can reach him at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.