PFL, Dana White, Paddy Pimblett make big donations towards Stevie Ray's daughter's brain surgery
By Amy Kaplan
Several big names in the MMA community have donated to a brain surgery fund for Stevie Ray's daughter.
On March 29, PFL lightweight Stevie Ray, announced his daughter needed a life-saving brain surgery and was asking for help from his fans to offset expenses.
"Trying to raise funds for my daughter to get brain surgery," he wrote on his Instagram post.
He also included the link to his GoFundMe, which explained in more detail what his daughter needed to be done.
"On July 25th 2019, Myla took a seizure called a 'tonic-clonic" during her sleep, I still to this day do not know what possessed me to go and check on her when she first fell asleep, maybe motherly instinct but all I know is if I didn't she would not be here today," Natalie Ray, Stevie's wife. "Myla was then taken to the hospital and put in an induced coma for roughly 24hrs (the longest hours of our lives). Our worst nightmare began!"
Fighters, fans and media all over the world rallied for Ray and shared his plea. But PFL did above and beyond and donated 15,000 pounds (roughly $18,500 in US money) to the cause.
UFC president Dana White also made a sizable donation to the cause, coming in with 10,000 pounds. PFL announcer and former fighter Sean O'Connell donated $4,000 pounds and UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett donated 1,000 pounds. New PFL fighter Shane Burgos also donated 1,000 pounds.
At press time he'd met and exceed his goal of 100,000 pounds.
Ray is scheduled for PFL 3 on April 14 in Las Vegas.