Moment Kate Middleton praises girl, 9, who designed cosmic artwork for new children’s hospital ward after being inspired by her father who ‘went to the stars’ after battling brain cancer

The Princess of Wales looked visibly moved as she spoke to a little girl whose father had ‘gone to the stars’ today.

The royal, 41, met nine-year-old Ella Moth today during her visit to the Evelina Children’s Hospital in Westminster.

Her father Piers – who worked as a music teacher – was treated for a brain tumor at Guy’s Hospital before his death in 2021.

Ella told the Princess of Wales how her space-themed drawings were inspired by the death of her father, who ‘went to the stars’.

The princess, who has been patron of the Evelina London children’s hospital since 2018, asked Ella: “How does it feel to have your design on the wall for other children to enjoy and be an inspiration to many other children?”

Ella replied: ‘I didn’t think this would ever happen!’

The devoted father-of-three, who lived in West Dulwich, had met his wife Laura just three weeks before his life-changing cancer diagnosis in 2011.

Thanks to invasive treatment, Piers beat his cancer and the couple had their children Oscar, 10, Ella, nine, and Ottillie, four.

In his early career, Piers found work as a musician and composer, but his treatment impaired his ability to play the guitar or recorder.

Speak with My London in 2021, family friend Adele Grover explained how Piers was told the treatment could cause him to lose “30 percent of his intelligence.”

She said: ‘He always felt like it had affected him, that he wasn’t the same anymore. He would become quite overwhelmed.

‘But despite that, music was his passion.’

Tragically, a routine check-up in 2020 revealed that Piers’ brain tumor had returned.

Piers (top right) initially beat cancer in 2011 and went on to have their children Oscar (bottom right), 10, Ella (bottom left), nine, and Ottillie (top centre), four, with his wife Laura (top left). )

At the time, Laura – a respiratory physiotherapist – worked tirelessly on NHS wards to help patients struggling with their breathing during the pandemic.

Piers initially looked into what changes he could make to his lifestyle – including his diet – to fight his cancer.

However, doctors discovered that the tumor was now growing in his brain, meaning surgery was out of the question.

Piers passed away in hospice care in 2021. His daughter Ella seems to have inherited his creative streak and won a competition to design the artwork for the new ward of the Evelina Children’s Hospital.

Kate was joined by Ella Moth (left) today to cut the ribbon outside the hospital. The nine-year-old lost her father to brain cancer in 2021

The princess then met Chloe Morley, 10, who was the ward’s first patient when she had her tonsils removed on July 12.

The new facility, which cost £55 million to build, will allow children to be treated in one location on the same day, reducing the stress caused by numerous hospital visits.

It will help the hospital treat an additional 2,300 children a year, in addition to the 104,000 children and young people treated by Evelina London, the children’s unit at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital.

The unit has two new operating rooms for simple operations such as tonsil removal and bladder operations.

The princess walked the same route as the children who visited the center, including rooms where pre-operative checks were possible, operating rooms and recovery areas.

The family, who live in West Dulwich, suffered the loss of Piers in 2021 after the doctor found the tumor in his brain

In the recovery room she met four-and-a-half-year-old Saya Stephenson, who was resting in bed that morning after surgery to remove excess skin from her ears.

The princess hugged her mother, Miwa Stephenson, who said she was concerned about the operation, despite it being a relatively minor procedure.

Kate responded, “It’s always a concern for a parent though. We must remain calm. It is so hard.’

The princess posed for selfies with nurses on the ward before ending the visit with the traditional ribbon cutting.

Evelina’s chief executive Gubby Ayida said afterwards: ‘With everything happening in the NHS at the moment, including long backlogs, the Princess’s visit has brought a feel-good factor to every room she visited and to all the staff.

‘It’s very special, the staff works so hard. The visit turned everything upside down. It’s more than just cutting ribbons. It was a privilege to welcome her here.’

When she left, she was presented with flowers by Burac Abrahams, 11, the second patient in the new department when his tonsils were removed in July.