Beyonce's touching tribute to 'beautiful' late fan
(Yahoo!) - Beyoncé lost one of her biggest fans in Australia last week, and now she has paid tribute to the young girl's family.
After Chelsea-Lee James died April 21 at age 15 after a 10-year battle with cancer, the "XO" singer sent a vase with 90 white roses and a handwritten note to the girl's mother and the rest of her grieving family.
"Donna, love and prayers to you and your family. Chelsea was a beautiful girl and I am so happy I was able to meet her," the card read. "She touched my heart and I will never forget her."
Beyoncé first met the teen from the suburb of Wallsend (just outside of Newcastle, in New South Wales) when she brought Chelsea up on stage during a concert in 2009. The emontional girl welled up and more than 20,000 fans cheered as Beyoncé dedicated "Halo" to Chelsea.
"Chelsea, I can see your halo, I pray it won't fade away," Queen Bey sang.
Beyonce: Halo Tribute To Chelsea - Sydney - 09/18/09
"I wasn't expecting it to happen," Chelsea said after the concert. "I don't know how she picked me out of the crowd."
The two reunited backstage at Beyoncé's Sydney show last October. "Last time, Beyonce sang to me on stage," Chelsea recalled about their second meet up. "But this time, thanks to Camp Quality, I actually got to meet her backstage and talk to her and laugh with her, which was so cool. I'll never forget this."
Chelsea suffered from a rare form of cancer — a primitive neuroectodermal tumor on her spine — that was diagnosed in 2003. She received chemotherapy and radiotherapy for five years, but the tumors eventually returned.
Since Chelsea's passing, tributes have poured in on social media from around the world.
'Thank you Beyonce for bringing light into her darkest hours' Chelsea Lee James, the cancer patient, dies at age 15. pic.twitter.com/my2EMHrbBf
— ROC B (@rocbeyonce) April 22, 2014Today we payed our respects to Chelsea Lee James. I was lucky enough to spend small amounts of time… http://t.co/vYvEyGD1bQ
— Robbie Rochow (@RobbieRochow) April 29, 2014"Rip my baby going to miss you every day love your mummy daddy and all the kids xxxx," her mom wrote on Chelsea's Facebook tribute page the day after her daughter's death.
The tribute video that played during Chelsea's funeral — set to music by Michael Jackson and Beyoncé — is viewable on YouTube.
chelsea lee james funeral tribute
