Plucky Kirsty died in the early hours aged 20 – having defied medics who gave her just six weeks to live at the age of four.
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“Words can not describe how incredible this young lady has been over the years”, Beckham captioned the throwback photo, featuring both him and Howard wearing soccer jerseys.
She became a tireless fundraiser, raising more than £7.5 million for Francis House Children’s Hospital in Manchester, winning a host of famous admirers during her lifetime.
In 2001 she was the mascot for the World Cup, she came on to the pitch with David Beckham, he and wife Victoria have donated a lot of money to Francis House and remained friends with the youngster – and in 2002 Kirsty handed the jubilee baton to the Queen as part of the Commonwealth games opening in Manchester – with Becks at her side.
A spokesman from the Kirsty Club, a charity founded by the kid, confirmed she passed on on Saturday at 1.30am morning. She helped raise millions of pounds for Francis House Children’s Hospital in Manchester and took home several awards in the United Kingdom for her courage.
She studied childcare at college and gained an impressive 12 GCSEs.
“I met Kirsty in 2002 when she became the nation’s and my good luck charm for the game against Greece”. A real inspiration. Everyone who met her fell in love.
She was also a proud auntie before she died just a month after her 20th birthday. “Love to her family”. “It was a privilege to have known her”.
Members of the public added to hundreds of online tributes.
Amanda Sweeney, meanwhile, tweeted: ‘RIP #kirstyhoward such an inspirational and very strong courageous young lady.
He wrote: “I’m sad to hear Kirsty Howard has died”. Such an inspirational young lady.
Asked how Kirsty’s family was coping, she said: “You can only imagine what they are going through in this nightmare”.
Kirsty had been receiving respite care at Francis House in Didsbury, a children’s hospice opened by Princess Diana in 1991 that was facing closure through lack of funding.
In a statement, Francis House hospice said: “Our deepest condolences go to her family”.
“We can not express enough our humble thanks and gratitude to an incredible young woman”.
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Kirsty has had many celebrity supporters during the years including Victoria Beckham, Prince Charles and David and Samantha Cameron. Such an inspirational young lady.
