Johnny Depp surprises Berlin woman, penning foreword for her latest children’s book benefitting Make-A-Wish

Actor Johnny Depp has a widespread reputation for embracing charitable causes, and a Berlin woman is among those who have experienced his kindness.

The actor wrote the foreword in Katie Vandrilla’s recently released children’s book to benefit Make-A-Wish America and Make-A-Wish International.

Vandrilla, 31, a chemistry teacher at Middletown High School, first met Depp in 2011 in London on the set of “Dark Shadows” when she had a wish granted through Make-A-Wish Connecticut. The organizations grant wishes to seriously ill children.

“He is the sweetest person that you could ever dream of meeting,” Vandrilla said. “He gives undivided attention and makes you feel like you’re the only person on the planet.”

Sick as a teenager with leukemia, meeting Depp changed her life by giving her hope and inspiration, Vandrilla said.

“His movies helped me get by,” Vandrilla said.

He’s her favorite actor — she’s seen every one of his movies — and among her favorites are “Dark Shadows,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Benny & Joon.”

When they met on set in 2011 there were about 12 other young people there because meeting him is a popular wish and he always carves out the time, she said. He visited with them for about 45 minutes, seemingly leaving only because he was pulled away to start filming again.

She said there was no reason for her to stand out, and she doesn’t believe he remembered that meeting.

Then in 2018, she met him again at a meet and greet she bought tickets for featuring “Hollywood Vampires” a rock group featuring Depp, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. It was there she told him about how she had met him in London as part of a wish.

That same year, she self-published a children’s book, “Thumper’s Hospital Adventure,” to benefit the broader Make-A-Wish organizations and dedicated it to Depp.

The dedication reads: “To everyone who has helped me,” and then she mentions Depp, “who has inspired me more than he will ever know.”

Depp heard through the grapevine that he was mentioned in the dedication — it wasn’t Vandrilla who told him — and he sent her a sweet note written in a copy of the book, saying he was “touched and honored.”

“It took a long time to process that it was real,” she said. “I was humbled.”

She finished her second book, “Thumper’s London Adventure,” a year later but because of COVID and other delays it wasn’t released until about a month ago.

She asked Depp, through his publicity people, if he could write a foreword for the book. She spoke in that communication of how she wanted to give back to Make-A-Wish because he had inspired her.

“I expected a nice, polite, ‘I’m too busy, thanks for thinking of me,”’ she said.

But instead, Vandrilla got the surprise of a lifetime when Depp sent her a foreword for the book.

It reads: “For my dearest Katie, for her dear family and friends, and for all the dear children out there. ... Please know that you are loved and that we are thinking of you all! With all my love, my respect and my good wishes to you always ...” He gave it his fancy signature.

“You don’t see all this stuff in the news because he doesn’t make it about him,” she said.

The first book — the one dedicated to Depp — is about a stuffed rabbit that gets separated from its owner in a children’s hospital. The second book, for which Depp wrote the foreword, is about the rabbit getting separated from its owner’s family and negotiating London.

This time the cover advertises loudly: “Foreword by Johnny Depp.”

Both books are available on Amazon and 100 percent of the profits go to Make-A-Wish America and Make-A-Wish International.

Vandrilla, who is in remission, volunteers for Make-A-Wish Connecticut in many ways, including granting over 30 wishes. Granters interview the ill children and their families about their wish, the organization makes it happen and later the granter returns to celebrate and share the happy news.

Make-A-Wish Connecticut spokeswoman Kris Moran said “wish kids” are always part of the organization’s family.

“We are grateful to Katie for her work as a wish granter and her help at events, not to mention the support through her books that benefit Make-A-Wish,” she said.

Depp couldn’t be reached directly for comment, but Carolina Hurley of Hiltzik Strategies which counts Depp among its clients, said, “Make-A-Wish [and] helping children in hospitals has been a recurring philanthropic passion for him.”

Vandrilla plans to write more books for the charity featuring Thumper and his adventures, but she’s still working out the details. There are no plans, she said, to involve Depp.

Vandrilla said at the time she met Depp in 2011 she had “survivor’s guilt” because so many young people she had met through the illness “didn’t make it.”

“Everything skyrocketed from that moment,” of meeting Depp in 2011, she said. “I saw what my wish did for me, and I want to pay it forward to show there’s hope.”