Eurovision star Sam Ryder has said “one of the most meaningful and heartwarming things I’ve ever done” has been singing with critically ill children at Disneyland Paris.
Ahead of the performance on Saturday, the children joined Ryder at the AIR Studios in Hampstead, London, to rehearse the song Viva La Musique, before going on to perform in France at the theme park.
Jax Morris, who was diagnosed at the age of two with a rare genetic blood disease and lives in North Ayrshire, Scotland and Kent-based Molly Townsend-Blazier, who was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukaemia, were among those performing.
The two nine-year-olds were joined by Habiba Konate Naim, 13, from Greater London, who is living with genetic condition Williams Syndrome and has had a life-saving kidney transplant, and Eve Wilson, 16, from the south coast of England, who is undergoing treatment for a brain tumour.
“Singing with these amazing kids was honestly one of the most meaningful and heartwarming things I’ve ever done,” Ryder said.
“They met as strangers, and it was a joy to watch them become friends as we bonded over the power of music and singing. The whole experience was so pure, and it’s been a real honour that I will cherish forever.”
The Make-A-Wish UK supporter said the charity is “the best of humanity.”
He added: “It transcends everything – politics, beliefs, all of it. It’s only good. It brings out the best in everyone, and I just feel so lucky to be around that energy.”
Ryder said that “getting to meet and hang out a few weeks” while rehearsing with the children helped break “the ice so we could just sing, dance, and enjoy the moment together”.
He said: “The main thing was making sure it felt like their day, building those bonds between them.
“If music was just the backdrop for all of that, then I’m humbled and honoured to have been part of it. They’re amazing people — pure beauty, honestly.”
The performance in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle at the launch of the Disney Music Festival came ahead of World Wish Day – which takes place on Tuesday – and was a collaboration between Disneyland Paris, charity Make-A-Wish and Ryder.
Eve recently received a place at dance college, ahead of her GCSEs, and said her “dream’s always been to perform at Disney, and it’s happening”.
Molly’s father Ian said: “At first, we thought we only had months with her.
“We had to wait a week for further tests, and eventually they confirmed it was leukaemia. It’s been a challenging journey over the last two and a half, three years, with quite intensified chemo every day.”
When Jax was four, he underwent chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant and then had complications, viruses and autoimmune encephalitis, which the NHS says is a serious condition leading to swelling of the brain.
This caused brain trauma and mobility impairments, but he is determined to try to walk again, and is still in and out of hospital, according to the charity.
Disney and Make-A-Wish have worked together for 45 years, bringing children more than 165,000 wishes around the world and some 20,000 at Disneyland Paris.
Ryder represented the UK at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, coming second with the single Space Man.
He was nominated for an outstanding original music and lyrics Emmy in 2023 for co-writing Fought & Lost, featuring Queen guitarist Sir Brian May, for the hit Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso.
