Ed Sheeran visits Waikato leukaemia sufferer after social media campaign

Published on Stuff.co.nz and in the Waikato Times.

Jess Knight is on cloud nine after British musician Ed Sheeran visited her in Auckland City Hospital on Sunday for her 20th birthday.

"It was amazing. The whole experience was surreal," said Knight.

Knight bought tickets to Ed Sheeran's concert in October last year, but a couple of weeks later was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a form of cancer of the white blood cells.

Numerous chemotherapy sessions and a recent bone marrow transplant meant Knight was unable to make the concert.

So last month, Knight's friend Anna Strong set up an 'Ed Visit Jess'event on Facebook and campaigned for Sheeran to visit Knight by using the hashtag #KiaOraEdPlsVisitJess.

And at 2pm on Sunday, that wish came true.

Knight and 12 of her friends and family got to spend half an hour with Sheeran.

"Ed was a really nice guy, down to earth and genuine," said Knight.

"We talked about the Lego movie - he recommended I watch it today. And he talked about when he was in Perth and he saw lots of sharks and he said he hoped New Zealand didn't have as many," she said.

Sheeran also signed a CD for her.

The friend behind the campaign said seeing Knight with Sheeran was magical.

"Seeing Jess smile is a picture framed in my heart for life," Strong said.

Knight and Strong want to thank everyone who got behind the campaign.