Johnny Depp made a cancer survivor’s dream come true in 2011 when the Make-A-Wish Foundation reached out to the longtime supporter to ask if he would grant her wish to meet.
Now the actor has written a heartfelt foreword to a children’s book written by that same cancer fighter.
Katie Vandrilla, 31, is the author of children’s book Thumper’s Adventure in London and a leukemia survivor who flew to? London to meet her “hero” Johnny Depp on the set of Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows.
And more than a decade later, Depp continues to lend his support by writing the foreword to Vandrilla’s latest children’s book, which hits shelves on July 20. He wrote the sweet note on June 17 in Paris, just weeks after his win over ex-wife Amber heard.
“To my dear Katie, to her dear family and friends,” the preface begins. And for all the lovely children out there, and for all their lovely family and friends, who now need that little bit of extra care and understanding.
‘Please know that you are loved and that we are thinking of you!
“With all my love, my respect, and my good wishes to you, always, Johnny.”
Johnny Depp met cancer survivor Katie Vandrilla in 2011 when he granted her a ‘wish’ through Make-A-Wish while filming Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows
Now the actor has written a heartfelt foreword to a children’s book Vandrilla
During his weeklong trial for libel against ex-wife Amber Heard, Depp’s charitable contributions were questionable. At the booth, Depp said: ‘When I donate money, I donate without my name involved because I don’t think it’s important, my name is there in terms of money’
Now cancer-free, Vandrilla is a high school chemistry teacher and co-director of drama in Berlin, Connecticut.
Her life changed when she was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 16.
She told DailyMail.com: “Meeting Johnny meant nothing less than everything to me.
“He gave me an escape and something to look forward to when I needed it most. And that moment changed my life in one of the best ways imaginable.”
Vandrilla said she writes for fun and started writing children’s books about her stuffed rabbit Thumper during her cancer treatment.
“It started as a therapeutic project for myself, but grew into something bigger that I continued to work on for a few years. The story had to be fun, educational and inspiring,” she said.
The latest book follows Thumper who has one chance to be reunited with his family. The rabbit must find Big Ben before the clock runs out, or he must be lost forever in London.
When her first book in the Thumper series was published in 2018, she donated the royalties to Make-A-Wish to help other children with life-threatening illnesses achieve their dreams.
“My Make-A-Wish sent me to a city I never planned to travel to, London, and which is now a big part of my life,” she said in a blog post.
“Giving back to Make-A-Wish is also a big aspect of my daily life. In addition to my book, I volunteer as a wish-grant to help other children with serious illnesses to fulfill their wish.’
Vandrilla is now cancer free and a high school chemistry teacher and drama co-director in Berlin, Connecticut
Vandrilla said she writes for fun and started writing children’s books about her stuffed rabbit Thumper (pictured) during her cancer treatment
Vandrilla told DailyMail.com: ‘Meeting Johnny meant nothing less than everything to me’
“He gave me an escape and something to look forward to when I needed it most. And that moment changed my life in one of the best ways imaginable,” said Vandrilla
Johnny Depp is known for his charity work.
Just last week, he made a significant donation to the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation in Australia.
The 59-year-old actor donated nearly $800,000 USD ($1,173,548 AUD) to various charities through the sale of NFTs (non-fungible tokens).
Depp’s NFT community called Never Fear Truth split the donations between the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, the Footprint Coalition and the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.
During his weeks-long libel lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, his charitable contributions were questionable.
On the stand, Depp said: “When I donate money, I donate without my name being involved, because I don’t think that’s important, my name is there in terms of money.”
Depp said he prefers working behind the scenes, which includes turning premieres of his films into benefit events for charities such as Great Ormond St Hospital for Children in London or volunteering with Make-A-Wish.
He said, “I’m not looking for that pat on the back. I don’t need the admiration, I don’t need the attention.’
Thumper’s Hospital Adventure was launched in 2018.