Bruce Springsteen Declares Rachel Colby 'A Trooper'

At one moment, Rachel Colby, 19, of Holmdel was laying in a hospital bed at Monmouth Medical Center, on medication for a painful bout of kidney stones.

In the next moment, Bruce Springsteen was at her bedside, praising her courage, complimenting her smile and giving her a kiss on her head.

No, it was not a dream. It actually happened on October 29, the day of the strange snowy nor'easter.  And her mother and father, Catherine and James Colby, have the photo to prove it. 

"You could just see her light up," said Catherine Colby, recalling the visit. Their wheelchair-bound daughter has endured 35 surgeries, for a multitude of medical issues she's had to deal with since birth. Her parents are always at her side.

"To be honest, it was exciting and it was something different from what we’ve been through with Rachel. It took away from dealing with medical issues, and a lot of the down part of being sick all the time. It was exciting," said Catherine Colby.

Rachel Colby's surprise encounter with the beloved Monmouth County-based rock legend has been circulating among Rachel Colby's friends and family. It came to Holmdel Patch's attention after her recreation sports coach, Paul Hooker of Challenged Youth Sports in Lincroft, re-told Jimmy Colby's story on the CYS Facebook page. 

Her mother said that on that unforgettable day, Rachel was plugged into her iPod, listening to music and taking medication to help her with the kidney stones. Jim Colby did a double take when he saw what he was sure was Bruce Springsteen walk past the door to chat with a doctor.

"He said, 'This man looks like Bruce Springsteen,' and I said, 'Nah,'" she recalled.

But Jim Colby goes to Springsteen concerts and buys the Boss's music for himself and Rachel. He was sure. He waited for the conversation between Bruce and the doctor to be over, with the plan to ask Bruce to come talk to his sick daughter. As he approached him, a security guard intervened, said Catherine Colby, but Bruce told the guard it was okay. "No problem at all," Springsteen told Rachel's father. He went to her bedside, explaining he was at the hospital to visit his sick friend.

"Rachel, do you know who this is? Bruce Springsteen!" Her mother said, and her daughter's face lit up.

"I told him pretty much what we do, that this is our world, that she is in and out of hospitals a lot. I started to tell him what was wrong with her," said Catherine. 

"At that point, he said to Rachel 'You're a real trooper, you're really pretty, you have a beautiful smile," her mother said. "She had a big smile on her face."

Catherine Colby told Springsteen about her daughter's love of music and music videos. "Who knows, maybe she's listening to one of your songs right now," she told Bruce.

Rachel took off her headphones. "Nah, I'm listening to Shania Twain," she said.

Springsteen laughed. "I like Shania Twain too," he said.

Catherine Colby asked if she could have a photo of the two of them. Springsteen said sure, and he went to the top of the bed and bent over to be photographed with Rachel. Catherine took one image with the cellphone and thanked him.

Before he left, Springsteen, who has children too, made an affectionate gesture by kissing her on her head. Then he left. 

"He was very nice. He listened to what we had to say. He was down to earth," said Catherine Colby.

The Colby family lives on Maurice Avenue, in the section of Holmdel off Laurel Avenue. Rachel Colby will graduate from the high school's contained class this summer, and continue one more year to re-inforce job skills she is using at her part time job as a volunteer at Regal Pointe in Middletown.

She is also known throughout the school system as a helper. Through the School Transition Readiness Independent Vocational Experience program (STRIVE) she leaves the high school to work twice a week at the Village Elementary School, at the front desk and in the library.

Of her experience meeting Bruce, she tells people, "It was really cool," said her mom.

"She just takes things in stride. When Bruce says she is a trooper, that’s really an understatement," said Catherine Colby.