Kate Winslet helps schoolgirl, 12, with rare eye condition tick off her 'visual bucket list' with a visit to the theatre - after donating thousands to fund a trip around the world
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Kate Winslet sweetly stepped in to help a schoolgirl with a rare eye condition tick off her 'visual bucket list'.
Lily-Rae Merchant-O'Hanlon, 12, was diagnosed with Stargardt disease last December - a genetic eye disease that causes progressive vision loss.
After reading about Lily-Rae's story, the Titanic actress, 49, was touched and arranged for the schoolgirl and her mother, Emma, 45, to join her at the theatre this week.
Kate arranged for the three of them to visit London's Barbican Theatre to watch My Neighbour Totoro and happily posed for sweet pictures together.
Speaking about the trip, Emma said: 'It felt like we'd known each other forever. She was very normal. We are so grateful to her.'
Earlier in the year, Kate also helped by donating £5,000 to Lily-Rae's GoFundMe page, meaning she was able to fulfill her wish of seeing the Northern Lights and also feed a group of tigers at Knowsley Safari Park.
Kate Winslet helped a schoolgirl, 12, with a rare eye condition tick off her 'visual bucket list' as she treated her to a visit to London's Barbican Theatre to watch My Neighbour Totoro
Lily-Rae Merchant-O'Hanlon, 12, was diagnosed with Stargardt disease last December - a genetic eye disease that causes progressive vision loss
After reading about Lily-Rae's story, the Titanic actress, 49, was touched and arranged for the schoolgirl and her mother, Emma, 45, (left) to join her at the theatre this week
After donating the hefty sum, Kate commented: 'Wishing Lily-Rae some magical adventures so she can make many special memories to treasure! With lots of Love, Kate Winslet and family.'
Speaking about the donation, Emma said: 'We're very overwhelmed. The donations we've had have been absolutely appreciated.'
'To have somebody such as Kate Winslet... I cannot explain how much I respect that woman as an actress, let alone now as an individual as a human being, to be so generous.
'She sent a lovely message as well. To have made so personal was just so special.'
Explaining her daughter's condition online, Emma penned: 'Hi, my name is Emma and I have the most amazing 11 year old daughter Lily-Rae who was diagnosed with juvenile macular dystrophy last year with confirmation a few weeks ago that she has a "defective" (hate that term!) abca4gene which is really rare and has caused her to have Stargardts disease.
'She has started using a cane and learning braille as her sight is constantly deteriorating she will hopefully keep some of her peripheral vision but that's not 100%.
'I've been gathering her ideas and the things she wants to see before it sadly gets so bad!
'Top of Lily-Rae's list is experiencing the northern lights in a glass dome. We'd appreciate anything you can spare to make Lily's dreams come true and she can have that vision memory in her mind forever x'.
Before Lily-Rae loses her sight completely her mother set up a Go Fund Me page to help pay for all the things she wants to see before her condition worsens
Earlier in the year, Kate also helped by donating £5,000 which allowed Lily-Rae to see the Northern Lights and feed a group of tigers at Knowsley Safari Park
Lily-Rae's condition does not affect colour, but she does struggle with depth perception.
She can see from three metres or less and said she reads her laptop using a font size of 64.
Currently, Lily-Rae uses a cane and is learning Braille, but she is hopeful that sharing her story will debunk some misconceptions about people with sight impairments.
'I would say this (fundraiser) is important for us because then I can see the world before my vision goes and my mum can also experience with me and I can just have mental memories and also muscle memories of all the different experiences,' Lily-Rae explained.
This is not the first time Oscar-winner Kate has showed her generousity.
In 2022, Kate donated £17,000 to a mother facing a sky-high energy bill to keep her cerebral palsy-hit daughter alive on life support.
Lily-Rae's condition does not affect colour, but she does struggle with depth perception (Pictured with Sky News presenter Anna Botting)
Carolynne Hunter, from Tillicoultry in Scotland, was warned by Clackmannanshire Council that her bill could rise from £6,500 to £17,000 next year.
Her daughter Freya, 12, has severe cerebral palsy and relies on receiving oxygen for chronic breathing problems.
Carolynne said she was overwhelmed when the Titanic actress, 47, intervened upon hearing their struggle reported on BBC Scotland.
Kate donated £17,000 to the family's GoFundMe page and contacted Miss Hunter to wish them well.
