A Dream Came True TWICE for Little Denise Sanchez!

[drjohncarpenter]

720419_w Denise_02.jpg

Many of you may well know the story of 8 year-old fan from Santa Fe, Denise Sanchez. She had been battling cancer since the age of 6 and, like her mom, was a huge Elvis fan. Denise was all set to see him in Houston in November 1971, as she was in the hospital there receiving treatment. But, sadly, when the time came, she was just too weak to attend.

Then, after getting back home, ads were placed in early March for another Presley show, this time even closer to home!



Albuquerque Journal - Sunday, March 5, 1972
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/156672918/



Through luck and pluck, and the help of the local paper, her mom Trudi was able to get tickets for that concert in Albuquerque on April 19, 1972, and an opportunity to meet the singer backstage before the show! Photographers and MGM "On Tour" cameras were there to capture a deeply special moment.





Backstage with Denise Sanchez in Albuquerque, NM - Wednesday, April 19, 1972



Elvis was, as always, kind, warm, gentle and gracious. Denise had already lost a leg and part of a hip to cancer, and doctors could do no more to help after it had spread to her lungs. The meeting was to give her one last happy memory, and at the show that night, Elvis sang "Love Me Tender" -- her request -- and then dedicated "You Gave Me A Mountain" to her.

s72041901.jpg

On stage in Albuquerque - Wednesday, April 19, 1972
Source: http://www.elvisconcerts.com



Listen for yourself, he starts "You Gave Me A Mountain," then stops and does "Love Me Tender" first:
http://www.elvisconcerts.com/cdr/720419es.htm

"Her name is Denise."



The review the next day by Jerry McDaniel did not mention Denise, but was filled with superlatives like "Elvis Knocks 'Em Cold":

Albuquerque Journal - Thursday, April 20, 1972
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/156364184/

"I have never seen anything quite like what happened at Tingley Coliseum Wednesday night."



Denise would lose her fight barely four months later, but I recently uncovered that she did have another bright moment before saying good-bye: another show with Elvis! This is something I never knew until yesterday.

Denise's story reached Photoplay that summer, in a first-person account from her mom. And it seems that Mr. and Mrs
. Larry Miller, a couple in Daly City, California, read the magazine, and were so moved they reached out to Trudi to find out if her brave little daughter would like to see Elvis in Las Vegas, their treat.

"Did she ever," said her mother. So little Denise was able to watch Elvis again, one weekend in early August at the Las Vegas Hilton!

A dream came true: TWICE. What a wonderful discovery.

s7208xx01.jpg

On stage at the Hilton - August 1972
Source: http://www.elvisconcerts.com
Shows: http://www.elvisconcerts.com/concerts/dboutput.php?search_month=August&search_year=1972



Thank to esteemed forum member The fool, we can now see the original article that moved the Millers:


Elvis' Love For My Dying Child (1972 article)
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=73&t=82213



Not long after returning home from her unexpected Las Vegas weekend with Elvis, Denise's journey neared its end:

In Coma at St. Vincent Hospital

'Dreams Come True' Fading For Little Denise Sanchez

By SCOTT BEAVEN

Last April, the Journal ran a story about an 8-year-old girl named Denise Sanchez who had a dream come true: She got to see Elvis Presley when he performed in Albuquerque.

For Denise, there won't be any more "dreams come true." Wednesday she went into coma at Santa Fe's St. Vincent Hospital and her mother says "we could lose her anytime."

DENISE IS suffering from terminal cancer, the same disease that claimed her lather some years ago. She will leave behind her mother, Mrs. Truddi Sanchez, and her six-year-old sister Paula. And a score of memories for both.

After the Journal story was picked up by United Press International, it eventually made its way into "Photoplay" magazine where Mr. and Mrs. Larry Miller of San Jose, Calif heard about the little girl.

They decided she should see Elvis Presley again if she wanted to ("Did she ever," said her mother) and two weeks ago they took Denise and her mother to Las Vegas, Nev., for a week-end.

A DREAM come true. Twice. Shortly before the trip, Denise awoke one morning with paralysis on the left side of her body. "They thought she had meningitis on top of everything else," Mrs. Sanchez said. "But it turned out it was due to bleeding inside her brain from the cancer."

Despite everything, Denise remained the happy little girl she is. "She never let it get her down. She was still ecstatic about seeing Elvis again. She needed stronger pain relief and oxygen, though, so we had to put her in the hospital. She's on morphine now."

WHEN DENISE is gone, Mrs. Sanchez faces a mounting collection of medical bills. She took a leave of absence from her job at Santa Fe's traffic engineering department to be with her daughter as much as possible.

"They were just great," Mrs. Sanchez said "They are holding my job for me but they could only pay me so long and we don't have anything now. I'm afraid we have used everything we have."

Persons wishing to contribute to the family may send checks payable to the "Denise Sanchez Fund" in the care of Gary Williams, an officer at the Cordova Branch of the First National Bank of Santa Fe.

Albuquerque Journal - Friday, August 25, 1972
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/156445077/

On Saturday, she was gone.



Albuquerque Journal - Sunday, August 27, 1972
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/156446917/



The story of Denise Sanchez is but one of countless moments where Elvis' generosity of spirit and kindness are so very apparent. Major stars often have these kind of backstage experiences but, somehow, the ones we know about with Presley seem even more special. This is the kind of thing he did all the time, not just when the cameras were rolling. And it makes one wonder how any serious writer could be vicious about his life or career, like discredited biographer Albert Goldman was back in 1981. It takes all kinds, I guess.

Her story also reminds all of us, at this time of year, to appreciate every moment. Denise always did, an example of love and courage that will never be forgotten.

720419_w Denise_01.jpg

Thank you, Denise.



'

[Lover Doll]

And Thank You, John.

[sweetangeline]

thank you so much for this post...that was difficult to get through for all the right reasons...no child should ever have to go through that...glad she had a very loving family and supporters...AND ELVIS!!

[JosephC]

Very appropriate and reflective post. One of my takeaways as an Elvis fan has been to always remain humble and kind.

Thank you for this post Doc. Warm wishes for a Happy New Year to you and all members of this special forum.

JosephC

[MartyMcFly]

Very touching story. Thank you for the research and bringing it to our attention. Happy New Year!

[Domino]

That one tugs on the heart strings and shows that no matter how high up in the charts he got he was still a down to Earth country boy.It really shows his shy side too.Thanks.

[TINML]

Thank you Doc for sharing and thank you Elvis for caring.

[GuyLambert]

That's amazing information. Happy to hear she saw him again. Thanks Doc.

[sooner]

Sad.

[sundial77]

Thanks Doc, how touching, and ultimately heartbreaking. That clip always brings a tear to my eye and yet simultaneously brings a warm feeling to my heart.I was not aware about the second show she attended, nor was I aware of how soon she passed away. How terribly sad.

[Sugarfoot]

It is a heartbreaking story, and to learn that Denise's father had also succumbed to cancer 4 years earlier, makes it even more so. That dedication of You Gave Me a Mountain must have been very emotional for both Denise and her mother.

14066234_10208742785221658_8319813741997989534_o.jpg

[Mister Mike]

Do we know if Elvis was ever informed of her passing?

[Hobbes]

I like how Elvis treats her with the same kind of respect he'd give to an adult; he's not patronizing with her, as some adults are with kids. And it seems like he may have picked up on the likelihood that she felt a little awkward being put on the spot by the adults; he's very easy-going with her, which would have helped her feel at home around him.

"Mountain" is a song that some performers probably would not have dedicated to a little girl, as its content is heavy: "This time, Lord you gave me a mountain, a mountain that I may never climb." But this again reflects the fact that Elvis instinctively respected and empathized with her enough to know that those lyrics probably articulated what she felt. He was giving voice to her fears.

Thank you for the additional information.

RIP Denise Sanchez

[DEH]

Elvis is very reserved and shy during the meeting. but he treated her beautifully. he may not have been comfortable with such a intimate thing being filmed or he was just very touched by the whole thing. i am glad it was filmed. God Bless Denise Sanchez. such a brave little girl. she deserved a better fate.

[Rob]

This shows very clearly that Elvis cared for his fans. Also remember that he called the hospital in Cincinnati himself to find out about Carla Mulford's daughter on March 21, 1976.

Elvis had a heart of gold.

[lanadelslay]

What a sweet moment, I love how her mother kept telling her "Tell him how you feel about him!" and Elvis sensed her shyness. Also reminds me of this

Elvis meeting Sheila Riddell, a young fan who was photographed crying after she missed seeing Elvis at the train station he came through. After seeing the photo in the newspaper, Elvis arranged to make it up to her.

[hilton22000]

Here's the clipping about Sheila, Miami Herald, Friday, March 25, 1960

[King Volcano]

Thank you drjohn. Bless brave people like Denise and remember them forever.

[YDKM]

Thanks Dr John an extremely touching story i'm DEEPLY move`!

[drjohncarpenter]

Very touching story. Thank you for the research and bringing it to our attention. Happy New Year!

Thank you for the kind words. The story is fairly well-known around these parts, except for finding out that Denise actually saw Elvis in concert a second time before she left us. That was quite a surprise, and it made me very happy to discover this fact. She experienced her very favorite singing star not once but twice, and deserved every second of each visit. I do wonder whatever happened to the Good Samaritans who made it all happen, Larry Miller and his wife, from Daly City, California. It could not have happened without them.

[Jukebox Jam]

"Mountain" is a song that some performers probably would not have dedicated to a little girl, as its content is heavy: "This time, Lord you gave me a mountain, a mountain that I may never climb." But this again reflects the fact that Elvis instinctively respected and empathized with her enough to know that those lyrics probably articulated what she felt.
He was giving voice to her fears.

I'm not so sure that Elvis gave it that much detailed consideration, but it's a nice thought.

In hindsight, perhaps "Bridge Over Troubled Water" would've been a better choice by Elvis.

[Jukebox Jam]

It's interesting to note that Denise requested "Don't Cry Daddy or Love Me Tender or whichever one you want". The easiest route for Elvis, of course, was to do "Love Me Tender" followed by the well-rehearsed "You Gave Me A Mountain" (even though "Bridge Over Troubled Water" would've seemed more appropriate).

Performing "Don't Cry Daddy" live in 1972 probably wasn't on Elvis' radar, but maybe there's a chance that he would've given it a try if she had specifically requested that.

It makes me wonder what Elvis' reaction to little Denise would've been at the moment (and later on stage) if she had specifically requested "Mama Liked The Roses" or "If I Can Dream". I'm guessing that Elvis still would've gone with "Love Me Tender / You Gave Me A Mountain".

[King Volcano]

It's interesting to note that Denise requested "Don't Cry Daddy or Love Me Tender or whichever one you want". The easiest route for Elvis, of course, was to do "Love Me Tender" followed by the well-rehearsed "You Gave Me A Mountain" (even though "Bridge Over Troubled Water" would've seemed more appropriate).

Performing "Don't Cry Daddy" live in 1972 probably wasn't on Elvis' radar, but maybe there's a chance that he would've given it a try if she had specifically requested that.

It makes me wonder what Elvis' reaction to little Denise would've been at the moment (and later on stage) if she had specifically requested "Mama Liked The Roses" or "If I Can Dream". I'm guessing that Elvis still would've gone with "Love Me Tender / You Gave Me A Mountain".

It’s hard not to wonder at her Don’t Cry Daddy request, and if it reflected events at home for little Denise

I knew this story previously from the board, but as drjohn writes, it’s very moving to be reminded of it and to learn about its coda.

[drjohncarpenter]

That's amazing information. Happy to hear she saw him again. Thanks Doc.

Musically, this is not such a huge "Elvis scoop," but emotionally it really pack a wallop. It was really heartening to read that tough, brave little girl had a second evening of absolute joy, and it came due to the kindness of strangers.

I'd love to learn what show Denise attended. She was taken on a weekend, and it may have been 8-11 (Fri), 8-12 (Sat) or 8-13 (Sun). Of those six performances, we have five recordings available, including one official FTD release, and three others that come from a soundboard source. Maybe some day we'll know more.

[King Volcano]

That's amazing information. Happy to hear she saw him again. Thanks Doc.

Musically, this is not such a huge "Elvis scoop," but emotionally it really pack a wallop. It was really heartening to read that tough, brave little girl had a second evening of absolute joy, and it came due to the kindness of strangers.

I'd love to learn what show Denise attended. She was taken on a weekend, and it may have been 8-11 (Fri), 8-12 (Sat) or 8-13 (Sun). Of those six performances, we have five recordings available, including one official FTD release, and three others that come from a soundboard source. Maybe some day we'll know more.

Hmm, I would also love to hear that show.