WAUKEGAN, Ill., Dec. 26 (UPI) -- As Carlos Cardenas, 12, lay in an Illinois hospital bed recuperating from surgeries, he received a guitar from an unlikely source -- rocker Alice Cooper.
The Fender Squire electric guitar from the 58-year-old "Welcome to My Nightmare" singer was a gesture of support for the child who recently underwent surgeries to remove an aggressive tumor, the Chicago Sun-Times said.
Cooper had been informed of Cardenas' medical condition by the child's mother, who told the rocker that her son was one of his best fans.
"I had felt like I couldn't get through to him anymore because he was so depressed," Marla Belson said. "After he got this, it was almost as if there was nothing else in the world that could have done this for his spirits. It changed his whole game plan. He became proactive at that point. I think it played a huge part in him being home for Christmas."
Cardenas' operating surgeon, Dr. Guy Petruzzelli, said Cooper's gift could do wonders for the child's recovery, as positive thinking has been linked to improved recuperation.
