Amelia Perez was just 4 years old when she woke up at 2 a.m. complaining of a stomachache, a moment that would upend her family's life and launch months of surgery and treatment for kidney cancer. On Saturday, that same little girl stood backstage in San Antonio, meeting Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas before the band's concert, thanks to VIP passes arranged through a children's hospital philanthropy program.
Amelia and her parents, Nick and Amanda Perez, discovered the cause of her pain on May 5, 2025, when doctors diagnosed her with Wilms tumor, the most common type of kidney cancer in children, according to CHRISTUS Children's. Three days later, on May 8, she underwent surgery to remove her right kidney, and the hospital's account says she then endured eight months of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Her treatment officially ended on January 16, 2026, and today, per the same account, Amelia is thriving, back in school and enjoying being a big sister, with follow-up scans and ultrasounds continuing every three months.
A Shared VIP Moment for Two Young Patients
Amelia wasn't alone backstage. She was joined by Emmy, another CHRISTUS Children's patient and ambassador whose own medical journey began with persistent hip pain that kept her from sports and other activities, eventually leading to a diagnosis of hip dysplasia. Emmy underwent surgery to reposition her hip socket and improve its stability, and according to KENS 5, she faced multiple surgeries and long recoveries before reaching this point.
Emmy said the experience celebrated her progress and the help she received from God, the station reported. The two girls and their loved ones attended the Jonas Brothers' San Antonio concert together, with VIP passes enabling them to meet the band before the show.
Children's Miracle Network Behind the Surprise
The concert experience was provided by Children's Miracle Network, and CHRISTUS Children's Hospital credited the photograph documenting the meeting, per the station's report. Josh Rendon, vice president of philanthropy for CHRISTUS Children's Foundation, thanked Children's Miracle Network for making the experience possible and said moments like these provide joy, hope and lasting memories for patients and families during challenging times.
It's not the first time a young CHRISTUS patient has gotten a VIP brush with the Jonas Brothers in San Antonio. A fan named Allison and her family attended the band's Oct. 18 concert at the Frost Bank Center, where she met Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas, according to a report republished by KENS 5 Eyewitness News.
Wilms Tumor by the Numbers
Amelia's diagnosis fits a pattern familiar to pediatric oncologists. About 600 children are diagnosed with Wilms tumors each year in the United States, accounting for roughly 5% of all childhood cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. The average age at diagnosis is about 3 to 4 years old, the organization notes, and the condition is slightly more common in girls than in boys — a detail that lines up with Amelia's own experience at age 4.
Hip dysplasia, the condition behind Emmy's years of pain and surgeries, is a different kind of childhood medical hurdle but no less disruptive. CHRISTUS Spohn describes it as a condition in which the hip socket does not fully cover the ball portion of the upper thigh bone, leading to increased wear and tear on the joint, pain and potential arthritis — the kind of diagnosis that, for another young patient named Havely, led to a periacetabular osteotomy procedure performed in spring 2024, per the hospital's account.
For Amelia and Emmy, the backstage meeting with the Jonas Brothers offered a night of pure celebration after years defined by hospital visits, surgeries and recovery. Their families and care teams framed it simply as a reward for resilience — a brief, bright moment carved out amid otherwise difficult medical journeys.
