A brave five-year-old girl suffering from an inoperable brain tumour has died – just two days after fulfilling her lifetime dream of singing ‘Twinkle Twinkle’ to Simon Cowell.
Brave Bethany Fenton has battled in vain and endured gruelling bouts of chemotherapy and radiotherapy over the last 18 months in a bid to beat the disease.
She was granted her dying wish on Saturday and given VIP treatment during a visit to the Britain’s Got Talent studios ahead of last Saturday’s nail-biting final.
Bethany, from Fairford, near Cirencester, Glos., performed ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ to Cowell and met some of the finalists in the competition.
But she passed away yesterday at the Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, after a sudden deterioration in her condition.
Her ”devastated” parents Jemma and Sean paid tribute to their ”little star”.
Sean, 41, a former Grenadier Guardsman who served in Afghanistan, said yesterday: ”We are deeply saddened to say that our beloved daughter Bethany passed away this morning.
”Her death came after the most wonderful day of her life when she met Simon Cowell and sang ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ to him.
”She was always a little star to us and never once complained during the 18 months that she was suffering from this brain tumour that we discovered a week ago had doubled in size and leeched into her forehead.
”We were still hopeful that the people at Royal Marsden had found some way of prolonging her life but this was not to be.
”However, we now have wonderful memories of the most beautiful daughter in the world and no one can ever take that away from us.”
Bethany was diagnosed with a grade three to four Anaplastic Astrocytoma brain tumour 18 months ago after she lost the full use of her right hand.
Specialists said it was impossible to remove as it was inside the brain, growing outwards.
Bethany started intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy in February last year but a second MRI scan in September revealed the tumour had grown.
Desperate parents Sean and Jemma, who live with daughter Gracie, two and son Louis, 10, spent their life savings to search for possible treatments.
But the couple later decided to ensure brave Bethany enjoyed her remaining days.
Speaking after her dream trip to Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday, Bethany said: ”I loved them all, especially Kieran, who asked for my wristband to give us both luck.
”Simon let me sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to him. He’s so nice and I love him.
”The hotel was awesome and all the people so friendly; they made me and my brother Louis so happy. And the food was yummy.”
Simon’s spokesman Max Clifford said: ”He is really upset. He said what a beautiful little girl she was.
”He is just so sad, and sad for the whole family. She was a very special little girl and Simon was so touched when she sang for him.
”He was happy that he was able to do a special something on Saturday night to give her a few precious moments but it is so sad and his heart goes out to Bethany’s mum and dad and he is thinking of them.”
Sean said at the weekend: ”Meeting the acts was great – but the highlight of the day was meeting Simon Cowell, who was a true gentleman, joking with Bethany and listening intently as she sang to him.
”Janey Cutler and Kieran Gaffney really made a fuss of Beth and when all the acts were on the stage at the end of the show you could see Kieran was holding Bethany’s hospital tag for luck.
”Amanda Holden completed a great day by giving the family a cake each and telling jokes to Bethany. She was such a nice lady.”
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