Megan McNeil (September 7, 1990 – January 28, 2011) was a
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
singer. The only child of Dave and Suzanne McNeil, she was diagnosed in 2006 with
adrenalcortical carcinoma, a rare type of
adrenal cancer
An adrenal tumor or adrenal mass is any benign or malignant neoplasms of the adrenal gland, several of which are notable for their ability to overproduce endocrine hormones. Adrenal cancer is the presence of malignant adrenal tumors, which include ...
when she was 16 years old.
She studied at Seaquam Secondary and graduated in 2008. She also attended Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey for Sciences. She beat cancer back three times, but succumbed during her fourth battle, at the age of 20.
"The Will to Survive"
McNeil gained media attention when she recorded a
charity single
A charity record, charity album, or charity single is a recording with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity. In 1956, The Lord's Taverners released a 78 rpm disc which contained six tracks donated by popular artis ...
written by her entitled ''The Will to Survive'' as a tribute to tens of thousands of cancer-fighting children and youth. The lyrics include:
Here’s to the fight
Here’s to the fighters
Here’s to the brave that take this on
Here’s to the lost souls
Here’s to the new hope
We’ll keep on keeping on
Megan McNeil wrote the lyrics in 2006 just 2 months after being diagnosed with cancer. The song was recorded in 2010 at Nimbus School of Recording Arts with producer
Garth Richardson
Garth "GGGarth" Richardson, (born ), is a Canadian record producer and sound engineer. He is the son of music producer Jack Richardson.
He has worked with such musical acts as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Motley Crüe, Nickelback, Rage Against ...
. The song was arranged by
Ryan McMahon. A music video was shot by director Tash Baycroft. The proceeds from the single went to childhood cancer organizations.
Death
She died on January 28, 2011, aged 20.
Popular media
* McNeil's story touched millions across Canada and the United States through many media appearances in promoting childhood cancer awareness and such charities as The British Columbia Childhood Cancer Parents' Association (BCCCPA) an
The James Fund McNeil appeared in features in Europe as well.
Will to Survive: Megan McNeil biography
/ref>
* ''Canada AM
''Canada AM'' is a Canadian morning television news show that aired on CTV from 1972 to 2016. Its final hosts were Beverly Thomson and Marci Ien, with Jeff Hutcheson presenting the weather forecast and sports. The program aired on weekdays, an ...
'' selected McNeil's story one of the best of 2010
* ''CBC News
CBC News is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC ...
'' selected hers as the most inspirational story of the year in Canada
Discography
*2010: "The Will to Survive"
References
External links
Will to Survive websiteMegan McNeil MySpace
{{DEFAULTSORT:McNeil, Megan
1990 births
2011 deaths
Canadian women singers
Deaths from adrenocortical cancer
Deaths from cancer in British Columbia