Snow Patrol Lead Singer Pledges Support to Young Fan Battling Cancer

Posted on Jan 30th 2012 2:15PM by Sarah Chazan

Gino DePinto, AOL

Gary Lightbody may be known for his soulful vocals and touching lyrics -- but today, the Snow Patrol lead singer is gaining notoriety for something other than the band's new CD 'Fallen Empires.' The Irish rocker has pledged to donate a signed Gretsch guitar from his own collection for an auction raising money for Vanessa Riddle, a young fan battling a rare form of cancer.

Gary met 11-year-old Vanessa at the band's concert this past Friday (Jan. 27) in Glasgow, Scotland and was moved by her brave fight against Stage 4 neuroblastoma -- a type of tumor that develops from nerve tissues. The cost of treating the cancer is costly and Riddle's family is struggling to pull together funds to pay for a life-saving operation in the United States. With the donation of the expensive guitar, Lightbody is hoping raise as much as possible for Vanessa's treatment.

"It's a big sum of money Vanessa has to try and raise and we're trying to help as much as possible," shares Gary. "I hope on the right night at the right auction that people will spend a lot on the guitar."

The singer's generous donation has left quite an impression of Vanessa's family. "The guitar will be a fantastic gift because we need to do what we can to raise funds for her," the young girl's father, Chris Riddle, tell the Scottish Daily Record.

As for Vanessa, she's still in shock she was able to meet one of her favorite bands backstage at the show! "Gary was very nice," remembers Vanessa. "And we got a good seat at the concert!"

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