Rod Stewart to pay for woman with rare condition to get pioneering treatment in the US

8 March 2023, 13:54 | Updated: 17 March 2023, 10:38

Sir Rod Stewart visits NHS hospital where he paid for patients’ scans

By Mayer Nissim

"Rod was rushing through the room and I caught his gaze."

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Rod Stewart has been making a habit of good deeds recently.

In just the past few months, Sir Rod has been filling potholes in his native Essex, paying for a day's worth of MRI scans at his local hospital, turning down a possible lucrative Qatar payday and housing a family of Ukrainian refugees.

Stewart has now also offered to help a young woman with a rare genetic disorder after a chance meeting at a charity auction on Thursday (March 2).

Sir Rod crossed paths with 20-year-old trainee Red Arrows pilot Abi Evans at the event for mental health charity My Black Dog in Canary Wharf when he learned about her struggle with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

"Rod was rushing through the room and I caught his gaze," Abi told the Sunday Express.

Rod Stewart in London in 2022. Picture: Getty Images

"He came over and I introduced myself. I told him I’ve got a rare condition. He immediately wanted to hear more.

She added: "I explained all about Ehlers-Danlos, that it was degenerative, that I have a paralysed stomach and nerve damage in my legs which means I can’t walk, but there was a possibility of treatment abroad that could make me better.

"He is sending me to get stem cell treatment in America. And more than that he is going to help in a number of other ways."

Rod Stewart at Cheltenham. Picture: Getty Images

Abi said that Sir Rod has offered to boost awareness of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome to aid research, while noting that her own treatment could help broader understanding of the disease.

Sir Rod said: "The evening was lovely, it was brilliant to be there.

"Abi is a wonderful girl, I loved our time together and it will be great to be able to help her."