Meghan Markle Tells Child Cancer Patient She ‘Looks Beautiful’ At The Children’s Hospital L.A. Gala

Meghan Markle had a sweet encounter with another mom and her cancer-stricken daughter during her unexpected appearance at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles 2024 Gala.

At Saturday’s gala, Markle spotted a former CHLA cancer patient named Ella standing alongside her parents, Marcus and Megan, and her little brother Francis. 

According to a guest at the gala, Markle approached Ella and told her she was beautiful. She then introduced herself to Ella’s family. 

Reportedly, Markle had a short conversation with Ella’s mother, in which they both connected about having two kids. 

The guest said that it was an “incredibly sweet” moment, adding that Markle had no “pretense” about her and was happy to converse with anyone who approached her. 

In 2020, Ella was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma at just two years old. From Virginia, her family traveled across the country to California to receive treatment at CHLA. 

According to CHLA, Ella has shown no signs of the disease since 2021 and completed treatment in June 2022. 

While her appearance at the gala shocked many, Markle has been an advocate for the hospital for quite some time. In March, she visited CHLA to lead a healing session, using her acting skills to light up a storytime for the children. 

At Saturday’s event, Markle said the hospital was the “best in the world” to receive treatment. 

“Oh my goodness, the work they do at Children’s Hospital L.A. is otherworldly, and I think from my standpoint as a mother, no one wants to be in a position where you need to go to a place like this, but if you have to, the best place in the world you could go would be Children’s Hospital L.A.,” the former actress said. “The staff is incredible, and the amount of work they do for families that really could not afford this level of care is something that I think should never be overlooked.”

Markle has recently received less flattering press after several staffers left jobs at her foundation. One current employee called her “a dictator in heels.”