A trip to dinner turned out to be the surprise of a lifetime for a New Jersey woman battling stage four lung cancer.
Carol Cesario has spent the last five months in and out of the hospital, her daughter, Rosie Skripkunis, said. Cesario, a lifelong Jon Bon Jovi fan, has always hoped she might one day get up close and personal with the singer.
“One of her biggest dreams was to meet him, ever since I was little,” Skripkunis said.
In an effort to cheer her mom up, Skripkunis made a makeshift sign on a piece of newspaper in May pleading for the singer to come visit her mom. With the help of friends, and lots of shares on Facebook, within an hour, Skripkunis was working with Bon Jovi’s team to make the dream a reality.
With June 25th picked as the date and Bon Jovi’s restaurant JBJ Soul Kitchen in Toms River as the destination, Skripkunis says she had no problem keeping the secret from her mom.
“I lied to her,” Skripkunis said, laughing. “I told her I wrote to his restaurant, that they said they couldn’t pass fan mail on, but that they had invited us for a free meal. It was a free meal, but it was a free meal with Bon Jovi there.”[[384464551,C]]
At the restaurant, Cesario sat with her family talking as Bon Jovi snuck in the door behind her, then stood next to her without saying anything.
U.S. & World
"Oh my God!" Cesario yelled out when she noticed exactly who was standing next to her. Bon Jovi gave an emotional Cesario a kiss on the cheek.
Cesario, Skripkunis, and their family spent the night with Bon Jovi, talking for hours and listening to some of the singer’s new music. Bon Jovi gave Cesario an autographed book and a guitar.
Skripkunis said since the dinner, her mom can’t stop thinking about it.
“She slept with the book he gave her,” Skripkunis said.[[384481861,C]]
