A terminally ill teenager left heartbroken after being sold fake tickets to see Ed Sheeran has been given fresh hope of seeing her favourite star.
Dion Yates travelled 600 miles from Lossiemouth to watch the singer perform at London’s O2 arena.
The concert was on the 18-year-old’s bucket list, which she drew up after doctors broke the news she had just months to live.
But Miss Yates, who has a rare form of bone disease Ewing’s sarcoma, was devastated when she arrived at the venue to discover the tickets were fakes.
Her mum, Kerry Yates, said the seller took advantage of the tragic circumstances behind the trip to sell them at an exorbitant rate of £600.
She branded the conman a “disgusting excuse for a human being” in a Facebook post explaining what had happened.
Within hours, the message had been shared across social media by almost 10,000 people.
And last night, Mrs Yates revealed an English events firm has now offered up VIP tickets for Sheeran’s return to the O2 next month.
She said: “What happened was shocking, but the support we have been shown has restored my faith in humanity.”
Miss Yates was first diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a cancer of the bone and soft tissue, when she was 15.
She underwent a year of radiotherapy and chemotherapy and was given the all-clear in 2014.
But last August, doctors broke the news that the cancer had returned.
Earlier this year, Miss Yates learned that her condition was terminal.
Resolving to make the most of her remaining time with her daughter, Mrs Yates bought four tickets to the gig on second-hand selling website Gumtree.
She said: “I told the man how important it was, and after I explained it was for Dion’s bucket list he said he was able to get us VIP tickets at an extra cost.
“Dion is a massive fan of Ed Sheeran so I felt I had to go for it, and got tickets for us, her sister and a friend of hers that lives in London.
“I transferred the money to someone I know in London, who collected them in person.
“The tickets looked legitimate and I’d spent three days talking with the seller, with him saying he was delighted they were going to someone so deserving.”
Mrs Yates said her daughter’s health has declined in recent weeks, often making her unable to leave bed, so deciding to venture to London was “a touch call”.
She added: “But Dion had a really good day on Wednesday before the concert.
“When we arrived at the O2, she went in a separate wheelchair entrance but I could see the panic in her face as the ticket was inspected.
“The kids were devastated, it was a shame because it ruined such a good day.”
After being denied entry, Mrs Yates visited the box office to see if any spare tickets were available.
But she learned that the only standing tickets were left, which would not be suitable for her wheelchair-bound daughter.
Although Miss Yates was upset, her mother said she had been touched by the outpouring of support.
Determined to make the most of their trip to London, the family went to see a musical based on Roald Dahl book Matilda last night.
A spokesman for the Leicester-based Imperial Events said the entertainment company had been “touched” by Miss Yates’ ordeal.
He said: “One of our managers saw Mrs Yates’ post online, we are in the type of industry that can help.
“We had a few spare VIP tickets for the June concert, and are delighted to send them to Mrs Yates.”
