To celebrate turning 18, Mariella had planned to attend the York concert with her closest friends and her dad \u2013 a tradition that had become something uniquely theirs. <\/p>\n
She was thrilled that Tom Grennan was finally performing in her home city after the pair had travelled across the UK and Europe to see him perform over the previous three years.<\/p>\n
Now, instead of celebrating with Mariella, her father and her friends will attend the concert in her memory.<\/p>\n
The family has one simple wish: that Tom Grennan might acknowledge Mariella\u2019s name or dedicate either \u201cA Little Bit of Love\u201d or \u201cPlease Remind Me\u201d to her during the performance.<\/p>\n
\u2018Beautiful young lady\u2019<\/p>\n
Mariella was a student at Askham Bryan College studying uniform public services. She wanted to be a police officer and was a Humberside Police cadet based in Beverley.<\/p>\n
The 17-year-old was driving from her home village east of York to her job at Shiptonthorpe McDonald\u2019s at around 3.40pm on Monday 30 March when the crash happened.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mariella-rose-tom-grennan-2.webp\")
A special connection: Mariella and Tom Grennan. Photograph: Family<\/p>\n
Her Chevrolet travelling eastbound was in collision with a tractor.<\/p>\n
Mariella\u2019s father Chris said: \u201cShe was a very good driver, but where it is in Everingham, as you come through it\u2019s a blind bend, and there\u2019s a whole hedge that\u2019s taller than a tractor.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was alerted that something was wrong when McDonald\u2019s rang to say she hadn\u2019t arrived for her shift.<\/p>\n
Trying to find out what happened, he drove the same route. \u201cAnd I came to the scene of the crash. So it\u2019s been tragic for us. It\u2019s been absolutely tragic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mariella \u201cwas the most beautiful young lady,\u201d Chris told YorkMix. \u201cShe had the biggest heart and would do anything for anybody \u2013 but would not suffer fools. What was right was right. What was wrong was wrong, and she knew the difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe had a real strength and she had a real belief.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Special connection\u2019<\/p>\n
Mariella was diagnosed as dyslexic when she was 14 and on receiving the results she said she was, \u201crelieved, as if they had said I didn\u2019t have dyslexia I would go through life thinking, what is wrong with me?\u201d<\/p>\n
She then discovered that Tom Grennan was also dyslexic. <\/p>\n
Knowing someone she admired had faced similar challenges gave her confidence to embrace her diagnosis and become an advocate for others living with dyslexia.<\/p>\n
Mariella first met Tom in 2023 after winning tickets to a Comic Relief recording. She literally bumped into him afterwards while he was out for a run. He stopped to chat, listened as she spoke about her dyslexia, and left a lasting impression through his kindness and generosity.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mariella-rose.webp\")
Mariella Rose<\/p>\n
From that day on, Mariella became one of his biggest supporters.<\/p>\n
She persuaded her dad to go with her to Berlin for an intimate theatre performance. In August 2025 she met Tom again at a Leeds show and signing, where she and a friend brought teddy bears for him to sign.<\/p>\n
Later that year, father and daughter travelled to Brussels to see him once more. They appear together on Tom Grennan\u2019s official Facebook page, singing along to \u201cA Little Bit of Love\u201d and making heart signs during the performance \u2013 capturing memories her family will treasure forever.<\/p>\n
At that concert, Tom opened up about his struggles to the audience. Chris, a former volunteer with the Samaritans, and Mariella, who volunteered at East Yorkshire Mind, then talked to him about mental health issues after the gig.<\/p>\n
Chris recalled: \u201cHe\u2019d said on stage, \u2018I don\u2019t feel my music\u2019s good enough\u2019. And I said, \u2018Tom, don\u2019t ever say your music\u2019s not good enough because your music has got my daughter through some very difficult times in her life.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018There\u2019s millions of other kids that will be listening to that and getting your message of strength\u2019. We met him for about 20 minutes, and we all hugged. He and Mariella had a massive cry together. So there was a real special connection there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Funeral song<\/p>\n
More than 300 family members, friends and colleagues gathered at Beverley Minster for Mariella\u2019s funeral, where they celebrates her life. Those attending included friends from Askham Bryan College, fellow Humberside Police Cadets and colleagues from McDonald\u2019s in Shiptonthorpe.<\/p>\n
As her final journey began, the music chosen for the crematorium was \u201cA Little Bit of Love\u201d\u2014her favourite Tom Grennan song.<\/p>\n
This Saturday, her dad and friends will stand at the front of the York Racecourse crowd where Mariella had always planned to be. They\u2019ll be wearing yellow T-shirts bearing her name.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a big bloke, and I will really struggle on Saturday. I can\u2019t listen to music \u2013 and I work in music,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mariella-rose-tom-grennan-3.webp\")
Mariella and a friend get their teddy bears signed by Tom. Photograph: Family<\/p>\n
\u201cMusic was on in every single room in this house. It\u2019s not been on since, so it\u2019s going to be really emotive for me. It\u2019s going to be a real struggle.\u201d<\/p>\n
A simple mention of her name by Tom, or a dedication of the song that meant so much to her, would create a moment her family and friends would never forget.<\/p>\n
Chris said: \u201cThe reason I\u2019m doing it, I want to keep my daughter\u2019s name alive. People die twice. People die when they die, and they die when you stop saying the name. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd for me, my selfish thing is I want to keep my daughter\u2019s name alive because she was the most beautiful person, and I want everybody in the world to know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Good cause<\/p>\n
Following her death, Mariella\u2019s family established the Mariella Rose Foundation, which exists to advance equality of opportunity for young people with dyslexia by reducing financial and social barriers to diagnosis, support and achievement.<\/p>\n
The foundation aims to ensure that other young people receive the encouragement and support that helped Mariella find her confidence.<\/p>\n