What a star
Leahanne Marr, 31, from Rochester, couldn’t believe the secret of her daughter’s ‘lookalike’ visitor
Putting in the DVD and pressing play, I hoped this would cheer up my daughter. As the swashbuckling Captain Jack Sparrow sailed on the Black Pearl, Jessica’s eyes lit up.
Pirates of the Caribbean had always been her favourite film, and it got her through some hard times.
At the age of two, she’d been diagnosed with juvenile arthritis in her left knee. Doctors had prescribed chemotherapy injections, but by the time she was eight, the arthritis had made its way into her other knee, as well as her fingers and elbows.
She was in constant pain, and sometimes she struggled to even move around.
She’d also been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, and her immune system was so battered, she often developed infections.
Often missing school because of her condition, watching films at home was one of the only things that would cheer her up.
Now 12, Jessica was missing yet another day of school because of agonising pain. As I watched her snuggled up on the sofa, while her younger sister Megan, five, played
with her toys in front of her, my heart broke.
I wanted so badly to take her pain away. As a mum, I felt powerless to help her.
So for now, I had to leave that job to Captain Jack.
‘Being a pirate must be so cool,’ Jessica grinned. ‘It all looks like so much fun!’ A few weeks later, in December 2016, we were at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital for Jessica’s arthritis treatment.
As a routine treatment, Jessica knew what to expect, and wasn’t scared at all. If anything, she was bored! While she played with her ipad in her hospital bed, I noticed her specialist chatting to a long-haired man out in the hallway. Then I saw it... He was wearing a pirate hat! He looks just like Captain Jack Sparrow, I thought.
He must just be a really good look-alike!
And then, as he came wandering into Jessica’s room, I realised that he was Johnny Depp himself!
He was dressed up exactly like Jack Sparrow. ‘Oh, my God!’ I cried. I was gobsmacked. ‘This is Jessica,’ the specialist said to him.
‘How are you?’ Captain Jack grinned, reaching out his hand to her and plonking himself down on the bed next to Jessica. She was red in the face and giggling uncontrollably.
Completely in character, Johnny Depp spoke to her for a few minutes, asking her how she was feeling and discussing his latest adventures at sea. He was so lovely. Still in shock, we posed for photos with the infamous pirate captain, and as Johnny put his arm around us, my heart was racing.
‘This is for you,’ he said, handing Jessica a white envelope.
Then he said his goodbyes, and as he walked out, Jessica and I squealed with delight. ‘Open the envelope!’ I cried. In it was a £50 voucher for Hamleys toy shop.
Looking out to the hall, I saw that Johnny was still there, so I rushed out to speak to him. ‘Thank you so much,’ I said. ‘You’re welcome,’ he smiled. Then he blew Jessica a kiss, leaving me in disbelief.
A nurse told me his daughter had been treated at this hospital when she was ill a few years before.
Since then, he’d been paying visits to the children’s hospital.
After that, Jessica didn’t stop smiling all day.
Whenever she remembers Captain Jack sailing in to visit her, she’s all smiles, and that truly is the best medicine.
We were all in total shock