Johnny Depp's £1m thank you

Jan 15, 2008, 13:30 GMT

01/10/2008 - Johnny Depp - "Sweeney Todd" London Premiere - Arrivals - Odean Leicester Square - London, England © Solarpix / PR Photos

Johnny Depp has donated £1 million to a London children's hospital for saving his daughter's life.

The Hollywood actor secretly visited Great Ormond Street Hospital, where his eight-year-old girl Lily-Rose was treated last March after her kidneys failed, to personally hand over the sum as a thank you yesterday (14.01.08).

Johnny, who kept a bedside vigil with long-term partner Vanessa Paradis when their daughter was treated for E.Coli poisoning, has revealed Lily-Rose's health scare put the family through "hell".

He told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "It was the most frightening thing we have ever been through. It was hell. But the magic is that she pulled through beautifully. Great Ormond Street was terrific, a great hospital."

Filming of his movie 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' was halted while Johnny concentrated on nursing Lily-Rose back to health.

He said: "I don't know what anyone else's feelings were at the time - whether I was coming back or not. I wasn't sure if I would be able to.

"But Tim Burton, the director, and the production were unbelievably supportive and said, 'Look we're hitting pause.'"

Last November, Johnny spent four hours at the Great Ormond Street hospital reading bedtime stories to patients dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow after having his 'Pirates of the Caribbean' costume flown over from Los Angeles.

He also invited five Great Ormond Street doctors and nurses to the London premiere of 'Sweeney Todd...' last week.

(C) BANG Media International