News Archive June 2009

From: The Windsor Star
by: Dalson Chen
Posted: August 2, 2009

Windsor teen Shawn Kinghorn may have been too injured to see KISS blow away Sarnia's Bayfest, but that didn't stop his rock superheroes from acknowledging their fallen fan.

On Friday, representatives of Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital presented Kinghorn with a KISS-approved compensation package: four KISS T-shirts, a hooded KISS sweater and an official KISS program autographed by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer.

"It makes me feel special," said Kinghorn, 13. "Because they don't usually do this for, like, anybody."

More than a month ago, Kinghorn had his heart set on seeing KISS in Sarnia. His father had the tickets, his friends were stoked.

But on July 1, while riding his new bike on Drouillard Road, Kinghorn became involved in an accident with an automobile. According to Kinghorn, the vehicle went through a stop sign, ran him over and dragged him 15 feet.

Kinghorn's injuries -- which included third-degree burns on his left leg and lacerated internal organs -- would keep him in hospital for 22 days. He would not join the estimated 20,000 fans who attended KISS's blistering outdoor performance at Bayfest.

Suzie Sulaiman, a social worker at the hospital, took pity on Kinghorn's situation. "I'm not a KISS person," confessed Sulaiman. "He was in the intensive care unit. We don't often have pediatrics kids anymore in our ICU.... He came to us because he was in trauma."

Asked why she decided to step in, Sulaiman replied: "Well, when you're 13, going to see a KISS concert is a pretty big deal."

On Sulaiman's initiative, Hotel-Dieu contacted Caesars Windsor and asked them to arrange something with KISS when the band played The Colosseum.

Now recovering from his injuries and the proud owner of new KISS merchandise, Kinghorn is hoping the band makes good on its promise to return to Southwestern Ontario in October.

Brad Kinghorn, Shawn's dad, added: "No tickets have been on sale yet, or anything like that, but as soon as I get any word of 'em, he'll definitely be going. I'll keep him indoors until then."

Brad -- a diehard KISS fan who has seen them live at least 30 times -- said he got his son into KISS early. "We got a picture of him from when he was, like, five, dressed up as Ace Frehley for Halloween.... I can look up the picture for you."