Chesterfield boy, 14, sings to dying mother for final time

A boy performed a duet with a friend in a hospice garden so his dying mother could hear him sing one last time.

Billy Devine, 14, from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, said his mother's eyes "lit up" when he began singing her favourite song - Shallow, by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.

Jane Devine, 51, was staying at Ashgate Hospicecare after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019.

She died three days after the performance on 7 September.

Speaking publicly for the first time since his mother died, Billy said singing to his mother for what he knew would be the final time was a bittersweet moment.

"It was a mixed emotion because I was excited that she could hear me sing but sad because it was for the last time," he said.

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He sang alongside his friend Ellie Marie Scott but Covid-19 rules meant Mrs Devine had to watch from her window.

She had been asleep but Billy said "as soon as I started singing her eyes just lit up".

Billy (pictured with his mum) has raised funds for Ashgate Hospicecare

Billy hopes to become a performer and said his mother had always supported his musical ambitions.

"It was only a couple of years ago that I started singing and my mum was like, 'Wow, you can actually sing'," he said.

Hayley Wardle, from Ashgate Hospicecare, said: "Watching Billy's performance was incredibly moving.

"Billy's mum was... completely blown away by such a kind gesture. To witness the love he showed his mother is something I will never forget."