Girl with brain tumour visited by Davina McCall

An 11-year-old girl with a brain tumour has been visited at home by Davina McCall as the presenter shared her experiences with the schoolgirl.

Kirsty was told by doctors in November that she had a brain tumour which was causing her to lose her eyesight and memory.

McCall, who was also told in November she had a rare brain tumour, visited the family in Tunbridge Wells on Friday.

Kirsty's dad Mat said: "I just thought it would be a really lovely thing for Kirsty to meet someone who has been through it, and it absolutely was."

Kirsty has been crocheting 70 bunting triangles to mark every week of her treatment to raise money for Children with Cancer UK.

Her Crochet for Cancer campaign has already raised more than £16,000 for the charity, and the 11-year-old wants to deliver leaflets about her work "to most of the houses in Kent".

She said of her meeting with McCall: "We talked about our different brain tumours and my fundraising.

"She thought that was a really amazing idea and she was happy to record a video to help me raise more money.

"I crocheted her a pair of cherries and it even matched her phone case."

Mat said he got in contact with McCall through "a friend of a friend" and the presenter agreed to visit the family.

He added: "She was so generous with her time and her attention. She's a very empathetic woman and is really good at connecting.

"She spoke to Kirsty about her own experiences and asked Kirsty in depth about her own tumour and her treatment."

Mat said the visit was an "uplifting" experience for Kirsty.

McCall, who hosted Channel 4's Big Brother, underwent surgery in November after a colloid cyst was found during a health check-up as part of her menopause advocacy work.

After MRI scans, the presenter confirmed her benign brain tumour was "not coming back".

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