As she sat in a hospital bed last year after being diagnosed with lymphoma, 16-year-old Gabrielle Lowe spent some of her free time watching the Formula 1 Netflix series ‘Drive To Survive’ – words that also could describe her battle against cancer.

“It was really hard during my treatment. It felt like my bones were stretching at that moment,” the Henderson teen said of her treatment. “I was in constant pain. But honestly, I think my parents had it worse than me because they had to deal with all the money problems and all the trauma that came with seeing their child go through things like this.”

As she and her father watched the first Las Vegas Grand Prix on TV last year, a moment in the race cemented her obsession with the sport.

“I know the exact moment I became a fan was when Max Verstappen cut off Charles Leclerc in the first corner of the first lap, and I got so angry that I thought: ‘you (Leclerc) are now my favorite driver and I now watch this forever. ”

After the race, she watched every episode of ‘Drive to Survive’ and watched every Grand Prix race every weekend.

‘This means so much to me’

Now in remission, the Coronado High School student’s wish was to attend the Las Vegas Grand Prix this year. And race officials and the local chapter of Make-A-Wish worked together to make that happen.

On Thursday afternoon, Lowe arrived at the F1 Grand Prix Plaza for a tour of the area as preparations for the race were underway. To her surprise, Lowe was greeted by F1 show cars, showered with various Grand Prix gifts, including a large replica of Leclerc’s car and four grandstand tickets to this year’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.

“I was absolutely shocked by the cars because I was just expecting the tour, but I didn’t expect to see the cars right in front of me,” she said. “This means so much to me because it has been very tough the last few years. But oh my God, this means so much to me.”

Grand Prix officials surprised people doing great things in the community this year with race tickets. But given Lowe’s backstory, this surprise is among the most special, according to Lori Nelson-Kraft, senior vice president of corporate affairs for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

“We’ve loved honoring extraordinary locals throughout Southern Nevada, but this one is extra special,” Nelson-Kraft said. “It’s a true honor when you get a call from Make-A-Wish Nevada, and they share compelling stories like Gabbie’s. Everyone on our side just wanted to participate and said, ‘What can we do to make this special for her?’

‘It takes a community to make a wish come true’

After granting 187 wishes last year and working with 230 children this year to ensure their wishes were granted, Scott Rosenzweig, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada, said it made it a little easier for everyone to hold the race in their backyard.

“They say it takes a village to raise a child, but we know it takes a community to make a wish come true,” Rosenzweig said. “We are reaching out to community-minded businesses and partners, just like F1… who have done fantastic work with us during their time here in Vegas, making wishes like Gabrielle’s come true.”

Now that she’s back at Coronado, Lowe said she looks forward to finishing her high school career and moving on to college to pursue her dream job.

“My dream is to become a veterinarian because I have always had a love for animals,” Lowe said. “Since I was six, I knew I wanted to work with animals. I can’t wait to go to college because people always say, “I want to leave.” But I love my parents, but I also love my own space. And I just can’t wait for the next step in my life.”

Contact Mick Akers at [email protected] or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.