Coldplay Donates $17,000 to an Ailing Fan

Far too often we read about celebs dissing their fans and immediately dismiss them as egomaniacs who are obviously too big for their britches, call for boycotts of all their projects and quickly move on to our next celebrity love affair. But even for someone whose heart is hardened after rude celebrity encounters, hearing about Coldplay helping raise money for a terminally ill fan should help restore some faith that there are plenty celebrities who don't simply view fans as walking dollar bills.

Speaking of money, Coldplay donated an astounding $17,000 to one of their hugest fans Briton Jody Duff, who is raising money for motor neurone disease, the illness that afflicts him. The band also tweeted about the cause, encouraging others to follow their gesture with donations of their own. Also, The Mirror reports Coldplay sweetened the deal by dedicating a song to Duff and offering him the chance to hang out backstage.

Super sappy moment, but it's a refreshing story, particularly because celebrities have tons of fans who oftentimes overwhelm them. I mean, it's gotta be pretty rough to have people constantly fawning over you when you just want to walk your dog or swing through the drive-thru at Taco Bell but you can't because your mere presence may cause a stampede.

OK, enough feeling sorry for celebs whose lives are more awesome than mine, despite being subjected to constant scrutiny and harassment. Check out these 8 celebs who gave their fans good reason to be starstruck:

Lady Gaga

It goes without saying that Gaga obsesses over her fans as much as they do her. While her "Monsters" waited patiently to see her at an autograph signing, she let them know she felt their hunger pangs by ordering them all pizzas.

Tom Hiddleston

They don't make 'em like Hiddleston anymore. The Avengers actor is a fan's dream, freely doling out hugs, compliments and photo retakes.

Drake

When Houston calls, Drake responds. When Drake got word that a 15-year-old terminally ill high school girl wanted to meet him, he flew to Houston to make her dream a reality.

Taylor Swift

Seriously, Swift is like the Dr. Phil of Instagram, doling out thoughtful advice to fans in need.

Tom Hanks

Aside from Justin Bieber's footage of Hanks getting his groove on at a wedding, here's another reason for fans to love the Oscar-winning actor even more. Hanks is cool enough to pretend to get plastered with his fans and patient enough to let them photograph the entire set-up.

Rihanna

If anyone can dish it, Rihanna will gladly take it and dish it back accordingly. Fortunately, that also applies to situations outside of someone pissing her off on Twitter, like the time she sent a message on Instagram asking a fan who'd missed the opportunity to meet her after a concert to come back for a special meet-and-greet.

Zach Braff

Sure, plenty of people think the former Scrubs actor is way too into himself to pay attention to his fans, but when Braff helped a guy propose to his girlfriend, the gesture showed that there's a hint of selflessness beneath all the ego.

Kanye West

Even though he's had plenty of unpleasant fan encounters, Yeezy can definitely play nice when he wants to, like the time he gave his microphone to a concertgoer who was celebrating a birthday.

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