Kathy Wolf was hospitalized at Duke in late June due to a complication from end-stage ovarian cancer. 

The Youngsville resident kept asking whether she’d be able to leave the hospital in time to go see one of her favorite singers, country music star Tim McGraw, at his concert in Raleigh on Friday, June 22.

Wolf's providers did everything they could, but medically, it was in her best interest to remain in the hospital that night. So her care team, including oncologist Brittany Davidson, M.D., sent a short plea on social media to McGraw and they were able to surprise her with a short video message from him.

"Hi, Kathy. Sorry to miss you tonight," McGraw said in the recording, wearing a gray suit with his customary, matching cowboy hat. "Just want to send our love to you out from the show tonight. Hope you're doing well and we look forward to seeing you next time."

Wolf has been a McGraw fan for decades, she said, and wanted to see him perform live one last time. Wolf had seen four other performances, the last time five years ago before her cancer diagnosis. Lying in her bed watching the message, a wide smile emerged on Wolf's face. "Thank you so much," she repeated to the DUH team.

“It’s unbelievable how special the doctors and nurses are at Duke, and how they go above and beyond and how much they absolutely care about their patients,” Wolf said. “They’ve always made me feel like I matter to them.”

Wolf, age 64, and her family want to spread awareness about ovarian cancer. She was diagnosed on 2015 with high-grade serous ovarian cancer. This is the most common and most lethal ovarian cancer, Davidson said, and it's often discovered when women are in the late stages because symptoms can be attributed to other conditions, including menopause. Often overlooked symptoms may include fatigue, lack of appetite, bloating, nausea and a change in bowel habits, Davidson said.