An Adele superfan battling serious illness has lost her life over Christmas, it was revealed today.
Rebecca Gibney, 14, had her dreams come true when the singer, 29, paid a visit to her bedside in Northern Ireland in March last year.
The chart-topping star called at the home of the then 12-year-old in Belfast when she was playing the city’s arena.
Adele fan Rebecca had a range of serious health problems, including cerebral palsy and epilepsy, and was confined to bed.
Today her mother paid tribute to her brave ‘angel’ daughter who defied the odds to live into her teens.
Rebecca Gibney, 14, had her dreams come true when the singer, 29, paid a visit to her bedside in Northern Ireland in March last year (pictured)
Adele smiled adoringly at the brave little girl who listened to her music day and night
She said Rebecca had ‘brought so much love and joy to our home’ and revealed she had been seriously ill for the two weeks before her death.
Mrs Gibney told the Irish News: ‘She was my world; she was Joanna’s world, we would have kept her with us forever, only it wouldn’t have been fair on Rebecca.
‘Everyone who met her loved her. We were delighted when Adele called to our house. Rebecca listened to her music all day and at night when I put her to bed I had to put Adele on for her, you could see it made her happy.’
She added: ‘She brought so much love and joy to our home. We’ll miss her every day, she was a little angel’.
Adele’s surprise visit came after Rebecca’s mum Tracy launched a campaign to try to get a message from the singer.
She created an online petition, contacted the singer’s management and tweeted requests for help ahead of the star’s much anticipated Belfast dates.
Tracy Gibney tweeted about the visit and said today the star’s visit had made her child ‘so happy’ as she battled serious illness
All her efforts paid off when she received a call informing her the Oscar, Bafta and Grammy-winning artist intended to go one better than a video or Facetime message and was actually on her way round.
The south London songstress called into the family home in Belfast’s Short Strand on to spend some quality time with young Rebecca.
Tracy was overwhelmed by the gesture. ‘I am so blessed and thankful that Adele came to my home today,’ she said at the time.