Words by Smiley Team
This Christmas, Ariana Grande quietly slipped through an act of generosity to children and babies spending the holiday period in hospital. Each child received two presents from the singer in a giant donation totalling 1,000 gifts, the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital charity revealed on 16 January.
The 29-year-old distributed gifts to children’s wards and newborn intensive care units at four hospitals across the city, in a move that built on her five-year connection to young people there.
Her generosity was welcomed again this Christmas by the Manchester Foundation Trust Charity. Its director, Millie Stacey, said: “We were so touched to know she was thinking of all the children and babies spending time in hospital at Christmas.”
Ever since the terror attack on her 2017 concert in the Manchester Arena, she has kept close ties to the people it affected. Notably, she has supported children in Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and Manchester Royal Infirmary - where some of the victims were treated.
Following the attack, she visited injured fans in the hospitals and donated $1 million to cover the cost of their therapy. She reassured them: “Healing is not easy but you are worth the effort.”
When the pandemic began in 2020, she sent gifts and £100 vouchers to children undergoing treatment, which deeply touched their parents.
The father of one recipient during lockdown said: “It's brought a lot of joy after everything that's gone on with the pandemic this year."
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Following her most recent gesture, Millie reacted: “It’s so wonderful that our family of hospitals still holds a place in Ariana’s heart.”
The Manchester Foundation Trust Charity is a collective of 10 charities to support wards and hospitals across Manchester.
To support their work providing treatment, caring for patients and conducting research, donate to the hospital charity of your choice at mftcharity.org.uk/donate/.
