Justin Bieber visits sick Edmonton woman in the hospital

Thanks to the generosity of others, a 17-year-old Edmonton girl was able to come face to face with her idol Monday night.

“I can’t believe it! I’m thinking, I can’t believe I’m really standing side by side with him,” squealed April Rugulies after her brief encounter with pop-sensation Justin Bieber, who played Rexall Place Monday night.

“I said that I couldn’t believe how cute he (was.) He’s definitely the cutest Canadian I’ve ever met.”

You wouldn’t know it to look at her, but Rugulies has been through a lot in her short life.

When she was just a few years old, a car accident took her father’s life and left her partially paralyzed on her right side, which forced her to wear a leg brace in order to walk.

“We were heading down the Whitemud and a semi wasn’t paying attention. He clipped a car and came over onto our side of the road,” recalled April’s mom, Norma.

But the Grade 11 student is abundantly bubbly, with a grin permanently spread across her face.

Although perhaps this just had to do with her brush with Bieber.

Rugulies’ neighbour Elvis LaFleur, managed to get a hold of the president of Northlands, Richard Andersen.

After some difficulty, Andersen came up with a pair of tickets for the teen. Monday afternoon came some even better news for Rugulies — a meeting with the 18-year-old singer himself.

“I definitely have to thank (Northlands and the Sun) for this terrific experience, because it’s like, I didn’t expect to be standing side by side to Justin,” she said.

Bieber also connected with an 18-year-old fan battling a devastating bone cancer.

Friends launched a Twitter campaign last week to try and get Crystal Montgomery to meet the “Baby” singer -- #bieberforcrystal was even trending across Canada Monday.

Montgomery was diagnosed with osteosarcoma earlier this year, and will soon undergo surgery to amputate her left arm because she says doctors didn’t catch it soon enough.

After dropping hints on Twitter, Bieber showed up at the Cross Cancer Institute Monday afternoon, visiting with Montgomery for a few minutes before jetting off to Rexall Place.

Just after 11 a.m. Monday, Bieber tweeted, “My fans are amazing. They made me aware of something. I’m gonna make good on it. #giveback.”

A few minutes later, Montgomery’s friend Brittany Imperadeiro tweeted “We did it,” along with a picture of the pop star at Montgomery’s bed side.

“He’s amazing, he’s an inspiration. To see him be such a mega-star but so willing to help people, and he’s just such a great person,” Montgomery said.

“He’s an inspiration to everyone.”

Bieber is set to play Saskatoon Tuesday night, followed by Winnipeg on Oct. 18.