"As a father, it hits me slightly differently"— Liam Payne revealed his son Bear inspired him to donate to sick children during his final days
Just days before his passing, Liam Payne recorded a number of videos on Snapchat, where he opened up about donating to the sick kids. In these videos, he explained that he had been “going on, night by night by night, trying to finish off people's donations" from various GoFundMe pages. In one video, Payne said:
"I've always felt really lucky to be in the position that I'm in, and my life aspiration is to be a superhero. All I know is there are websites out there for you to be able to donate to sick children that need your help."
Stating how he wasn't trying to gather any appreciation for his work, Liam Payne mentioned that his 7-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, inspired him to donate to sick kids. He said:
"As a father, it hits me slightly differently. I cannot look at a sick child and not see Bear. I can't and I won't. So, when I see one that I can help out with, I'm there and I'm ready to go. I didn't give a f--k what people think about me. What I care about is that a child gets to live the life they're supposed to. That's it. That's the whole thing.”
He concluded by motivating the masses to donate, as he added that one should help others even if it is just “one or two dollars.”
Liam Payne died on October 16, 2024, at the age of 31, after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Authorities reportedly discovered drugs and alcohol in his room from where he fell off.
Liam Payne shared his 7-year-old son, Bear, with his ex, Cheryl Cole
Liam Payne began dating Cheryl Cole in 2016, and the former couple welcomed their son, Bear, in 2017. However, just a year after Bear's birth, they decided to separate. Despite their split, the singer was extremely close to his son, often speaking about him in various interviews and on social media.
The Daily Mail shared a previously recorded video where Liam stated how he sees a lot of himself in Bear. In the video, though the exact source and timeline remain unknown, Liam shared:
“I can see a lot of myself in him. He did something really cute this week that I have to mention. He was like, ‘Oh, we need here now, Daddy.’ Bless him. Made me want to cry.”
During his 31st birthday in August, Liam recorded several Snapchat videos, where he shared a message with his son:
“I didn’t get any dad socks yet. But I am going to speak to my son in a little bit, which I’m really excited about. Bless him. He’s so big now. He’s a big boy, and he looks like a mini-me as if we need any more me in the world.”
Talking about Liam Payne’s death, Buenos Aires emergency services chief Alberto Crescenti spoke about the incident in a statement and said:
"Our role was to head there quickly, give medical attention, and try to resuscitate him, but his injuries were incompatible with life. Based on what the team saw, there was apparently a cranial fracture and extremely serious injuries that led to his immediate death.”
Furthermore, his family issued a statement, calling Liam a “kind and brave soul.” The statement read:
"We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space during this awful time."
Liam Payne rose to fame after appearing on The X Factor, where he became a member of the popular boy band One Direction alongside Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Harry Styles. The band remained together from 2010 to 2015 before all the artists went their separate ways. During their time as a boy band, One Direction released many hit songs and won numerous prestigious awards.
