Pop star Ed Sheeran's touching support for terminally ill six-year-old Ollie
Pop star Ed Sheeran has granted a terminally ill boy his dying wish by meeting him backstage.
The multi-million record selling singer was moved by an appeal by the family of Ollie Carroll, six, who has Batten Disease, a rare and degenerative condition.
Sheeran invited Ollie and his family, from Stockport, to meet him backstage before his recent gigs in Manchester.
The popstar then took to the stage wearing a red band promoting Ollie’s Army, a campaign which aims to spread awareness of the rare disease and raises funds to buy specialist equipment and fund future research.
Battens Disease has robbed Ollie of his speech, sight and the ability to walk. He is unlikely to survive past 12 years old.
Mum Lucy, who went along to the concert with Ollie’s dad Mike, sister Amelia, and brothers Micky and Danny, said: “Ollie, who once knew all the words to Ed’s songs, who used to sing along, can no longer talk.
"Ollie, who used to stand at the television watching Ed’s videos, can no longer stand and see.
"The power of Ed’s voice has pulled Ollie through the hardest and darkest of times.
"As soon as Ed walked into the room and spoke Ollie’s eye lit up and a smile spread across his face.
"This image was priceless. Ed spent time with Ollie and gave him the biggest of cuddles, he had high fives with Amelia who was completely in love and couldn’t stop staring at him.
"Ed is one of the loveliest guys we have ever met, he asked us to explain Batten Disease and Ollie’s Army. He was truly saddened by our journey.
"To us, last night Ollie wasn’t meeting a star, he was meeting ‘his’ star, he was meeting the man that taught him the power and love of music.
“As parents we can not thank Ed , his team and every single person who shared Ollie’s video enough. Our dying boy wished to meet his hero, that wish was granted.”
His parents Lucy and Mike created a wish list to give Ollie the best life they can. At the top was meeting his idol Ed Sheeran.
Earlier this year the family launched a social media appeal asking for Sheeran to meet Ollie.
The appeal included a touching video montage of Ollie singing along to Sheeran’s hits.
It also features Ollie’s sister Amelia, three, who has also been diagnosed with Battens, and a tender moment when she leans over and kisses her brother while Sheeran’s ballad Thinking Out Loud plays in the background.