Olly’s visit is ‘greatest gift’ for cancer sufferer

Singer takes teenager completely by surprise by turning up at home

Pop star Olly Murs gave a Dundee girl diagnosed with terminal cancer “the best tonic” with a surprise visit ahead of his Slessor Gardens show on Thursday.

The singer visited Fiona Clark, 15, at her home in Bowbridge Place before performing to thousands.

Fiona’s mum Karen paid a special tribute to the singer and said he had given her daughter “the greatest gift”.

She said: “We want to thank him from the bottom of our hearts. It was just the perfect tonic for me and Fiona.”

Fiona suffers from the genetic condition neurofibramatosis and has undergone two rounds of chemotherapy to treat cancers that developed as a result.

Karen said: “We had wanted to go the concert but we spoke to Fiona’s nurses and they said she was too weak.

“I told Fiona that we weren’t able to go but that we would still be able to meet Olly.”

Fiona got dressed expecting to be taken to meet the singer before the concert but was given no warning the X-Factor star was about to turn up at her home. The visit had been arranged between the singer and Karen in secret.

“About 3.30 the taxi arrived and I answered the door and Olly was there with his PA,” said Karen.

“I told Fiona we had a special visitor and Olly surprised her. It was the best tonic we’ve had in eight months.”

The singer was even introduced to the family’s pet cocker spaniel, named Olly in his honour.

“He came in and sat on the sofa and told Fiona he had heard a lot about her,” said Karen. “He was just amazing and chatted away to her.

“We have got a cardboard cutout of him which he loved and he got his picture taken with it.

“He told Fiona he would be thinking of her at the concert.

“We also had a little gift for him – a Broons tartan tie – that he was thrilled with.”

Karen added: “I’m still thrilled for Fiona. As he left all the neighbours came out to see him. I told him I was going to get a plaque put up for him.”

Olly’s visit to Fiona came just days after he took time out to visit 12-year-old Emma Pollock from Kennoway, who was seriously injured in a road accident.

He tweeted afterwards: “Dundee, you danced, you sang, you went mad! Love ya see ya next time.”

He was amazing and chatted away to her. He told Fiona he would be thinking about her at the concert

Picture above: Steven Brown. Olly Murs on stage at Dundee’s Slessor Gardens. A few hours after he paid a visit to cancer sufferer Fiona Clark, below, to give her his best wishes.