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[Sakara=Excitement]

UFC president makes charity donation | Ruby Owen | Dana White

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.

To donate, log on to Charities news | This Is Staffordshire and click on the link at the bottom of this story.

[TBEAR]

Great job Dana, this is positive exposure for MMA....Not Mir and now Davis saying they want to kill people.

GREAT JOB Dana

[KevoOnTheRadio]

I hope she pulls through. What a tough kid, more badass and a bigger heart then any fighter on the planet.

[TBEAR]

Originally Posted by KevoOnTheRadio

I hope she pulls through. What a tough kid, more badass and a bigger heart then any fighter on the planet.

Well put sir well put

[Xanatos]

would have been funnier if it was a donation towards AIDS.

but in all seriousness, that's awesome. there's not enough of this in the world

[Pasha K]

That is actually great, but in this case shouldnt Dana make now donations for a lot of other people?

Because that girl is not the only person in the world who has cancer.

[U shut ur FACE]

I'm surprised this was even noted to be honest. The media loves publishing every "outlandish" thing he says rather than any of the good shit he does.

[Fedorlei Gomipierre]

I respect the hell outta anybody who has and gives to others who do not.

Just like the Tribute to the troops, Dana expresses a finer side of himself and elaborating on the wise ideal that no person is all bad or all good. Well done on his part and is something that more celebrities should do with their amazing wealth and success.

[Sakara=Excitement]

Originally Posted by Pashak

That is actually great, but in this case shouldnt Dana make now donations for a lot of other people?

Because that girl is not the only person in the world who has cancer.

If everyone thought like this no one would ever help. That's a ridiculous way to think. He just made a huge change in that families life.

[macewen]

Foul mouth, good heart.
Good Job Dana.