Simon Cowell donates 100,000 to help cancer-stricken toddler
TV’s Mr Nasty Simon Cowell has shown off his generous side – after giving £100,000 to help save the life of a cancer-stricken youngster.
Cowell has donated the money for 18-month-old Sophie Atay, from the UK, to fly to the US for pioneering treatment at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York.
He acted after learning the youngster’s family launched a last-ditch appeal for £500,000 to pay for the treatment last week after they were told Sophie was suffering from a rare form of neuroblastoma and needed treatment within days.
Alexandra Burke, last year’s X Factor winner in the UK, broke the news to Sophie’s mum Karine, 33, on the telephone that Simon had now dipped into his own pocket to top up the total to the necessary amount.
Alexandra told the Daily Mail: “Karine didn’t know what I was going to tell her when I called her.
“So when I broke the news, we were both crying – but I was crying more than Karine.
“Karine even said she had been listening to my song Hallellujah on the way to the hospital.
“I’d told Simon about the situation and that there was no time to waste because Sophie needs the treatment immediately, and he decided to give her the money in a second.
‘Now we’re hopeful Sophie will be on the flight to the US today.”
Sophie had received the best treatment that UK hospitals had to offer, but if specialist doctors can see her within the next seven days, her chances of survival will rocket from 20 per cent to 90 per cent.
After her appeal was broadcast last week, people from all over the UK pledged their support and donated cash.
But she was still £100,000 short of the necessary target – until Cowell, 50, stepped in.
Source: Splash News