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02/03/10 - Dana White donates $10k to brain-tumour infant

Quote:

THE family of a poorly two-year-old girl were "shocked but over the moon" after a U.S. cagefighting boss pledged £5,000 to help pay for her treatment.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White made the surprise gesture on Ruby Owen's fund-raising website on Saturday – despite having never met the family.

The 40-year-old American decided to support the Kidsgrove family's campaign to raise £250,000 to pay for the youngster, pictured, who has a brain tumour, to have life-saving treatment in America.

Ruby's dad, 38-year-old Martin Owen, said he had been amazed by the donation.

He said a family friend, who has asked not to be named, was a UFC fan and often went out to watch fights in America.

Martin added: "He emailed Dana and told him about Ruby's story and asked if he could help.

"The first we knew about the donation was when someone mentioned it on Ruby's Facebook page.

"We don't even know the man, yet he has given £5,000 towards Ruby's treatment. It's a big sum of money and we are very grateful. It's given us all a big boost."

Cagefighter Ross 'The Gladiator' Pointon, who runs Gladiator Gym, in Tunstall, has fought in the UFC.

And the 30-year-old said: "Dana is a cool guy so this doesn't really surprise me."

Ruby's brain tumour was diagnosed in May last year and since then she has undergone surgery and seven courses of chemotherapy.

With Mr White's donation, the campaign total now stands at around £56,000, but the remaining amount must be found before she can be registered for the six-week proton therapy treatment in Indiana.

The treatment is a form of radiotherapy which isolates and treats only the diseased tissue. Ruby's family hope she will receive it in 10 weeks' time.

Parents Martin and Rachel, have given up their jobs to care for the youngster, and take it in turns to stay with her in hospital while also looking after her 10-year-old sister Charlotte.

And Martin added: "We just have to hope people keep donating and we can hit the target."

Doctors have given Ruby less than a 20 per cent chance of survival.

via mmacrypt.com

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