DAD PAYS TRIBUTE TO LOUIS
LOUIS Tomlinson’s beloved mum was yesterday hailed as “a fairy godmother” who showered love on two grieving young girls.
Johannah Deakin, 43, was battling leukaemia – the same unforgiving illness which had claimed the life of the youngsters’ mother.
Mum-of-seven Johannah took the girls under her wing, arranged a string of treats and stayed in contact even though the cancer was killing her too.
Last night, as One Direction star Louis prepared to honour Johannah by singing live on the X Factor final, the girls’ father Rick Yallop told how she had a “heart of gold”.
Johannah died last week but widower Rick is dreading telling daughters Ruby, three, and Emily, seven.
He told how Johannah granted the girls a string of wishes after their mum Bella died from leukaemia in 2014.
Rick, 43, said: “The last message I had from Johannah was six weeks ago. She was inquiring about the girls as usual.
“It’s extraordinary that even when she was going through what she was going through she was still thinking about other people.”
Johannah had been touched by a Facebook message posted by Rick after Bella died. He was desperate to see his eldest daughter smile again and sent out an appeal for Emily’s 1D idols to send the little girl a message.
When Johannah spotted the appeal she arranged for Emily’s favourite singer, Zayn Malik, to record a message.
PRICELESS
Then she invited Emily and her family to son Louis’s charity event the Cinderella Ball – and gave them VIP tickets to meet the band at a concert.
Rick, from Norwich, said: “Johannah was an absolutely amazing woman. She put a smile back on my daughter’s face when she had lost her mum and that, for me, was priceless.
“She was a fairy godmother to my family when we were at our lowest and I’m in so much shock at the moment that she has passed away.
“It is such a terrible loss. She didn’t just help my family, she helped hundreds of families. She was one of those women who could never do enough. She had a heart of gold.
“Before we went to the Cinderella Ball, Johannah sent a note with a store card inside so the girls could buy a dress. I’m pretty sure she paid for that out of her own pocket. She was so thoughtful and generous.
“She arranged for a car to take us from home to the ball and when we arrived she was there to meet us. She was such a lovely person. I reached out for some help when I really needed it and she was there.”
Rick told how Johannah would send him a message on Facebook every month to see how his family was coping.
He added: “She was such an amazing, loving person. Last year she even sent Emily and Ruby C h r i s tmas cards and presents. She was a lways