Beyonce sang a touching tribute to an 8-year-old fan in Sydney on Friday. A little girl named Chelsea, who has leukemia, was brought on stage where Beyonce sang a quieter version of her hit “Halo.” The video was posted on YouTube, and you can see lots of people in the audience crying. While it’s very touching it’s also hard to watch, especially when the lyrics are coupled with what this poor little girl is going through.

This is the emotional moment Beyonce invites a special fan to join her on stage for a unique version of Halo.

Chelsea, who is suffering from Leukemia, cuddles up to Beyonce as she sings: “Chelsea I can see your halo, I pray you won’t fade away.”

The powerful performance in Sydney has members of the audience bursting into tears and singing along to the personalised lyrics.

[From the Mirror]

At the end when Chelsea hugs Beyonce she clings to her a bit, and I can’t tell if that’s because she’s touched or sad, but either way it’s heartbreaking. While I understand Beyonce was probably trying to do something kind – and I’m not trying to take away from that in any way – I couldn’t help feeling like the lyrics of this song took on a more literal meaning. In the original version Beyonce means “halo” in the sense of an aura, but to me it seemed like she meant it literally – as in an angel’s halo – when she sang to this poor little girl. And if that’s the case, I suppose it still could be sweet or heartbreaking, depending on your perspective. It’s so sad to watch the video – I had to stop at several points because I was tearing up. Hopefully Chelsea gets better, and this becomes a story she tells to her grandkids one day.

Here’s Beyonce at the VMAs on September 13th. Images thanks to WENN.com .