In photos reminiscent of his late mother Princess Diana, Prince Harry showed his caring side as he embraced a seriously ill boy in his arms. Harry was visiting young patient Ollie Carroll in hospital when he reached out and held the boy. The pair had met before at the WellChild Awards last October, and earlier this week, Harry made a secret visit to the hospital to check up on Ollie and his sister Amelia, who both suffer from a rare genetic disease called Battens.
Photos of the visit were posted on a Facebook page run by Ollie's parents Lucy and Mike, entitled Ollie's Army Battling Against Battens. They explained that Harry and Ollie had met last year at the awards ceremony, where Ollie, who has limited mobility, won the Most Inspirational Child Award. "What happened that day was truly magical," they wrote. "Ollie used all of his strength to stand on two feet to give Prince Harry a huge hug. We truly believe in that moment a bond was made between Ollie and Prince Harry."
Ollie and Prince Harry met at the WellChild Awards last year
The parents wrote a letter to Harry, explaining that they had received amazing news that Ollie and Amelia had been granted access to compassionate use of a pioneering treatment for CNL2 Batten Disease. They wrote: "We thanked him for giving our son the strength to stand when we thought this was no longer possible. On Tuesday, whilst at Great Ormond Street Hospital getting treatment, Ollie and Amelia got a very special personal visit from Prince Harry.
Prince Harry's secret visit to hospital where Diana comforted patients
The Prince paid a surprise visit to Ollie on Tuesday
"For an hour Prince Harry sat with us talking and playing with our children, laughing and making memories. The very thing our children want the most in life, to be happy and have fun. We feel so much pride knowing that Ollie and Amelia are touching the lives of the people they meet, with their love and their strength. The love, the support and the laughter within that treatment room on Tuesday will stay with us forever."
They concluded their post by thanking Prince Harry from the bottom of their hearts. "It was truly incredible to watch him with our children and to have the opportunity to talk with him about our journey with Battens," they wrote. "We would also like to thank Great Ormond Street hospital and the WellChild Charity for all their ongoing support."