MUSIC Kick'n Up Kountry helps sick kids meet the stars

In late summer 2004, Brittany Wells, then 13, was at a low point in her life. The Larimore, N.D., teen was undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia. "Nothing was the way it should have been," Wells said.

A major unexpected break in the gloom came through the Kick'n Up Kountry music festival in Hallock, Minn., when Brittany and her parents, David and Diane Wells, had a backstage meeting with one of Brittany's favorite singers, country artist Neal McCoy.

"It was a very emotional experience because it was like everything in my life was going downhill at the time," Wells said Tuesday during a quick break from mowing the lawn. Done with chemo and recovered from a hip surgery last fall that resulted from cancer treatment complications, Brittany is doing well.

Brittany's meeting with McCoy began when her father called Kick'n Up Kountry to order tickets to the festival. When Kick'n Up Kountry Inc. President Ardell Larson heard about Brittany's illness, and how much she liked McCoy and especially his hit song, "The Shake," Larson helped make the meeting happen. It turned into an experience that affected her as much as it raised the spirits of Brittany and her family, she said.

"When I saw that happen, it was pretty awesome, so that hooked me," Larson said.

In 2005, more children were able to meet country artists, including Terri Clark, at Kick'n Up Kountry. This year, five more children have been invited to go backstage for pictures, autographs and conversation with Sammy Kershaw and Kevin Sharp.

"As I have told many people, this festival has taken a complete turn for me, once that I have seen this happen with the children," said Larson, who is establishing a nonprofit to support the festival's work with children. "I am hooked on continuing this and making it possible for more children."

Unless you've had a child with a serious illness, you can't understand the challenges, or how much a visit like Brittany's with Neal McCoy can mean, Brittany's parents said.

"It is something that Dave and I just can't explain, what these kids go through," Diane Wells said. "All the doctors, everyone is telling them what they can and what they can't do. This is one bright light that they can look forward to that's all theirs, just theirs."

Brittany, now 15, is a sophomore at Larimore High School. This year, she and her parents will act as volunteer hosts for the children and their families who come to Kick'n Up Kountry to meet the country stars.

"I am so excited," Brittany said, "because not only do I feel like I can go back, but that I have gone through something similar, that I have a connection (with the other children) and that I can help."