
SIPA USA
Teen Battling Cancer Dies Days After Meeting Beyonce on FaceTime
By: Joe Hyer
March 23, 2017
UPDATE (Monday, March 27): We have learned that Ebony Banks (the teen who got to meet Beyonce via FaceTime last week) passed away on Sunday (March 26).
Banks was able to meet Beyoncé via FaceTime because of a social media campaign started by her friends.
Photographs from Sunday night's vigil for Ebony were posted on Twitter.
Sights from tonight's vigil for @AliefHastingsHS student Ebony Banks pic.twitter.com/7O4yFw8VPq
— Alief ISD (@AliefISD) March 27, 2017
ORIGINAL POST (Thursday, March 23): Never underestimate the power of the Beyhive (Beyoncé’s fan group). Yes, Beyoncé’s fans have done something truly magnificent.
Ebony Banks, a high school senior from Houston, is battling stage 4 of a rare form of cancer. Beyoncé is Ebony's idol. So her friends started a campaign to get Bey’s attention using the hashtag #EBOBMEETSBEYONCE. " Ebob " is Ebony's nickname.
"We just decided she should, you know, meet Beyoncé. We started this hashtag to see how far we could get," one of Ebony's friends told KHOU-TV.
The hashtag took off with members of the Beyhive across the globe, and the campaign reached Queen Bey herself. So, of course, Beyoncé surprised Ebony with a FaceTime call on Wednesday (March 22).
In the video clip below, you can even hear Ebony tell Beyoncé, "I love you." Watch for yourself:
A post shared by Beyoncé (@beylite) on
Never underestimate the power of social media.