When 18-year-old Kevin McGuire asked Taylor Swift to the prom, he never expected that the singer/actress would come back and take it one step further: invite him to the American Country Music Awards.

Kevin is currently being treated for a relapse of leukemia, a disease that first struck when he was just 13-year-old. He is  undergoing chemotherapy on top of taking a dozen other treatments and medication. Despite all this, the teen remains resolute, continuing to play basketball and football and earning himself the nickname, ‘the real Superman.’

As a treat to her brother, sister Victoria decided that Kevin should invite his favorite celebrity to prom.

So why did he pick Taylor Swift? “I tried to think of a kind person who would make me feel OK. And laugh,” Kevin explained. “A person who would look amazing, and the one person who would make me feel special for one night. It was her.”

With a Facebook page full of supporters, the singer decided to respond on her own Facebook page, “Kevin I’m so sorry but I won’t be able to make it to your prom.” She then added, “But I was wondering, the ACM Awards are coming up. Would you be my date?”

And Kevin’s response? “Obviously I said yes,” he said happily. “The ACM Awards is a lot better than the senior prom.”