Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Dark Jedi · 01-05-2003, 06:31 PM

J.K. Rowling brightens the last days of cancer patient fan.

Quote:

Ananova:
Harry Potter author fulfils dying Catie's last wish

JK Rowling has read her latest Harry Potter story over the phone to
a dying nine-year-old fan so the youngster would know what happened
in the children's books before she died.

She phoned Catie Hoch to read out stories from her unpublished
manuscripts as she worked on her latest book, according to the
Sunday Mirror.

The best-selling author kept up the amazing friendship with emails,
gifts and phone calls so Catie would know how the Harry Potter
stories would develop before she passed away.

After Catie, from Albany in New York, died the author told her
parents their little girl had left, "footprints on my heart", and
she was, "Braver than Harry".

JK Rowling also made a private donation of �75,000 to a cancer fund
set up in memory of the tragic youngster. The youngster was six when
she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood
cancer.

Catie's mother, Gina, told the Sunday Mirror: "I will be forever
grateful for what Joanne did. She gave us something priceless by
having this relationship with Catie. She touched her in ways we
could never have imagined."

Catie and her mum were nearly at the end of the third book, Harry
Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, when doctors revealed the
youngster only had weeks to live.

So a family friend sent an email to the author's publishers in
London - and days later the author sent back a personally written
letter, calling herself simply Jo. The two began exchanging letters
and emails

Gina, 43, revealed that one email read: "Dear Catie, I am working
very hard on book four at the moment...on a bit that involves some
new creatures Hagrid has brought along for the care of Magical
Creatures classes. You are an extremely brave person and a true
Gryffindor. With lots of love, JK Rowling (Jo to anybody in
Gryffindor.)."

Gina added: "We laid Catie down on the couch, and Jo read to her
over the phone parts of the manuscript. Catie's face lit up." The
author rang three or four more times but Catie grew so ill she could
not longer listen - and died on May 18, 2000.

Story filed: 07:35 Sunday 29th December 2002

(c) 2002 Ananova Ltd.

Damn. :notworthy

Dark Jedi · 01-08-2003, 12:26 AM

Am I just way behind the news on this one?

Arvel Joffi · 01-08-2003, 07:55 AM

That was a fantastic thing for her to do.

01-08-2003, 12:26 AM	#2
Dark Jedi Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Afghanistan Posts: 4,666	Ok, wow. Am I just way behind the news on this one?

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01-08-2003, 07:55 AM	#3
Arvel Joffi Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 3,359	That was a fantastic thing for her to do.

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