After being diagnosed with Myocarditis, a condition that inflames the heart muscle, at 14 years old, Taylor Rand, an NBC page, didn’t think she would live to see another day.
The 23-year-old Atlanta, Georgia, native learned she needed a heart transplant after she suddenly became ill following an eighth grade school trip to the Grand Canyon.
“It was a really dark time in my life,” Rand tells TODAY.com in an exclusive interview.
“I ended up getting diagnosed with Myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the middle layer of the heart,” she explains. “I had organ failure, heart failure, and needed a heart transplant due to this virus that just attacked my heart. Doctors thought that maybe I could’ve contracted it at the Grand Canyon.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, Myocarditis, which can lead to heart attack, stroke or heart failure, can be caused by a number of different things, including infections, viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi. It can also occur due to certain medications or drugs and even exposure to radiation and some health conditions like lupus. Common symptoms associated with Myocarditis are chest pain, fatigue, difficulty breathing, and flu-like symptoms like body aches or a fever.
Due to the severity of her condition, Rand was placed at the top of the list for organ donation. After getting a heart transplant two months later, Rand decided to reach out to the Make-A-Wish Foundation about possibly going to the American Music Awards.
Her wish was granted in 2017 and as an added bonus, Rand got to meet One Direction star Niall Horan during his rehearsal for the awards show.
“I got to go and watch him perform, which was super awesome and then we met,” she tells TODAY.com. “He’s absolutely fabulous, such a friendly person. I was a fan of One Direction when I was younger so this was a fun moment for me.”
After pursuing an entertainment degree in college, Rand decided to move to Los Angeles after landing a job at NBC as a Page. It was there that she learned that Horan would be returning as a coach for Season 28 of “The Voice.” When she told her supervisors her Make-a-Wish story, they agreed that it would be “incredible” if Rand and Horan got to see each other again.
After her supervisors made some magic happen behind the scenes, the pair ended up reuniting during a marketing shoot for the new season.
“We filmed it and he remembered me, which was an amazing feeling,” Rand raves. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is crazy.'”
“We had a side conversation after we filmed for about 20 minutes, just catching up and talking about life,” she says. “It was really, really nice to be able to connect with him on-camera, but also off-camera as well. He’s so personable and so friendly, so that was so amazing.”
While looking back at the full-circle moment, Rand says that she wants everyone to know that there’s always a “light at the end of the tunnel” no matter how grim your situation might be.
“I’m here now and it’s kind of crazy,” she laughs.
Rand adds that she hopes she’ll be able to see Horan in the future again.
“I’ll be on the lot for sure in December, so maybe we can have a little reunion moment next time he’s here on ‘The Voice’ and catch up. I would love that,” she adds.
“The Voice” Season 28 is set to premiere on Monday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and will stream the next day on Peacock.