Trent Reznor took time out of a Nine Inch Nails concert before the encore in Las Vegas last weekend to FaceTime a fan who is terminally ill, Andrew Youssef.
Youssef is a photographer in Los Angeles who found out he had stage IV colon cancer, but he has continued to work, both shooting and actually working in a hospital. He has also been reporting about his battle with cancer in a column featured on in OC Weekly.
His last post in the column on Oct. 10 showed his devotion to the band during the time he has left.
"The way I decompress is by reliving some of my favorite moments. Flying to San Francisco to see Nine Inch Nails at Outside Lands and seeing them again at the Troubadour definitely qualify as top moments and had me at peace, realizing I could live with the fact I might not be able to see them on Nov. 8 at Staples Center."
Reznor called Youssef before he played the song "In This Twilight." The photographer had written about the song previously in his column.
"Throughout my diagnosis, the meaning of a lot of the songs I like has changed drastically. This particular song resonates with me during the lyrics 'As the time is running out / Let me take away your doubt / We can find a better place / In this twilight.'"
Youssef was able to attend the band's show in L.A. at the beginning of November, but obviously didn't make it to the Las Vegas show. What an inspiring and endearing gesture for Reznor to make that call. Youssef wrote on Twitter afterward, "I'm speechless."
