The family of a terminally-ill girl has thanked Ed Sheeran for his “amazing gesture” after the musician donated a signed guitar to help them raise money for a legal battle.
Melody Driscoll, who has the rare and incurable disorder Rett syndrome, first struck up a friendship with the star after meeting him in November 2016. Sheeran has offered the signed instrument to parents Karina and Nigel Driscoll in a bid to help them raise £50,000 for a legal battle with King’s College Hospital over Melody’s pain medication.
The singer keeps in regular contact with super-fan Melody, sending her messages, and even performing a private concert for her before a gig at the O2 Arena in London last year.
“They have a really close relationship, Ed sends Melody video messages and he bought her an iPad so she can listen to his music.”
“She absolutely loves him, in hospital she is surrounded by him, she has an Ed Sheeran pillow, an Ed Sheeran doll.
“They share a lovely little bond and he wants to keep her in his life, he has been touched by her.”
The Driscolls, from New Addington, south London, say doctors withdrew their daughter’s medicine over fears it could cause damage to her liver, but the move has left her in extreme pain. They argue Melody, whose condition means she is at risk of sudden death, should be allowed pain medication to improve her quality of life for whatever time she has left.
Sheeran donated the custom-made instrument, signed with the message: “Play this guitar, lots of love, Ed” to help the family raise money to challenge the decision in the courts.
“It was overwhelming,” Ms Driscoll added: “We have made sure not to ask him for anything, we do not want their relationship to be about that, it is about Ed and Melody.
“For him to reach out and offer to help us raise money to make sure she has the best quality of life we can give her is an absolutely amazing gesture.
“From the moment he met her he has never treated Melody any differently, that is why we really respect him.
“Her disability does not matter to him, he treats her like a normal little girl and that is really important to her.”
Retts syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects brain development, resulting in profound mental and physical disabilities, according to the NHS. The condition affects around one in 12,000 girls born each year and is only rarely seen in males.
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust declined to comment on the case, but said all decisions taken by its staff “are in our patients’ best interests”.