Not Such A Meanie! Simon Cowell Donates Money To Child With Cancer
Filed under: Anglophilia > Inspiration > Simon Cowell
He may be the toughest American Idol judge with a notorious mean streak, but Simon Cowell is generous when it means the most.
The British music mogul donated £100,000 for 18-month-old Sophie Atay to receive emergency treatment in New York City for a rare form of neuroblastoma.
Apparently, Sophie and her family had exhausted all the resources available to them in the UK and if she is able to receive treatment from the specialists in New York, her chances of survival shoot up from 20 percent to 90 percent!
X Factor winner Alexandra Burke told Simon about their situation and he happily donated the money for Sophie's cause.
What an amazing gift!
We hope little Sophie gets well soon!
[Image via WENN.]
Posted: November 3, 2009 at 11:30 am
oh wow perez did you just read that from british tablid "the sun" whare you steal most of your stories from these days (way late too!) lol
he is a good guy though and i hope the girl gets well x
OHHH PULEEEZ, THAT'S JUST COWELL'S WAY TO TAKE THE ATTENTION OFF HIS DOUCHE BAGGERY WAYS WHILST HE CONTINUES ACTING LIKE KING OF TARTS ON XFACTOR. NEXT!!
HMM, a little girl from a country with socialized health care comes to America for the best treatment? Say goodbye to that when the health care reform bill passes!!!
Good for him for giving back.
Why do you sound so surprised Perez, we already know Simon Cowell is generous from previous situations
meanwhile, (n)obama wins the peace prize because he's America's first black president…………priorities are fantastic!
strange i guess
I'll double it if he buttons his shirt already
This is a perfect example of why we shouldn't have universal health care.
VOTE NO ON 1 #VoteNoOn1
hes actually pretty nice on bgt and x factor, maybe he just doesnt like yanks?! and the nhs has saved a hell of a lot more people than it has inconvenienced so americans, dont chat shit about it, you do not live with it in this country and therefore dont know what youre talking about
Re: LEAH. –
UMMMMHHH….
That has nothing to do with the story
THE SOCIALIZED SYSTEM REACHES EVERYONE DOES NOT EXCLUDE PPL THAT HAVE PRE CONDITIONS
WHEN I GO TO A HOSPITAL FOR A BROKEN LEG I DON'T PAY ANYTHING
IF THIS BABY WAS IN AMERICA HE WOULD PROBABLY CONSIDERED TOO THIN AND WOULD BE DENIED CARE(EVEN IF THE MOTHER PAYED THOUSANDS FOR THE INSURANCE)
THIS STORY IS TALKING ABOUT ADVANCED RESOURCES TO THIS RARE FORM OF CANCER
NO ONE EVER SAID THAT IN AMERICA THERE WAS POOR MEDICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES(NOT THE ONLY ONE OF COURSE THE U.K,SWEDEN,INDIA ETC HAVE IT TOO)
And here's a perfect example of why universal health care DOESN'T work. Those countries are already fucked so they would LOVE to see us in the same situation which is why they say it's sooo amazing. IT's not. My cousin had to come here from Canada bc his kid needed brain surgery and was put on a 9mth waiting list (which would have killed him). If the gov't runs everything in your life, you have nobody to complain to and NO alternatives. It's like taking a medication for 1 person and diluting it for 10…it doesn't work. I know it sounds like the right thing to do (in theory), but when it's implemented, it's a disaster. I can tell you as someone who came from a country with universal health care.
Gay men are so thoughtful. GO SIMON!!!
Re: xcalibur – Simon is actually a VERY nice person and donates a lot to charity.
Of course people like you will turn it into something sinister.
Why didn't Alexandra Boke donate any money??? Perhaps because she's a selfish bitch!!! I'm sure Alexandra told the papers she told Simon to donate the money - she's that up herself she would!!!
Our government's plan isn't to help people, it's to have complete and total control of all the people in the "free world". Their plans for healthcare have violated our constitution so badly, our fore fathers must be turning in their graves, but when every person in politics is so badly polluted what more can we expect? *Whatever the government gives you, they can take away*
it shocks me how ignorant and arrogant americans are. the british health service gives us something that every human on earth should have - the right to free, indiscriminate healthcare. we aren't controlled as you would like to believe. in fact we're probably more free than americans could ever wish to be. we have the right to marry anyone we want, we have the assurance of free healthcare regardless of our income, occupation or pre-existing conditions and if we don't like the way our country is being run, we can get people out! (thatcher, blair).
also, many seem to think that we have no other option but the nhs. this is wrong. we have a private healthcare system for those who want to pay for it. i used to work in health insurance and it works how the american system works, only when someone is refused cover they can actually get their treatment free on the nhs. its not the end of the line like it is in america.
also, ITS FREE HEALTHCARE! its a basic human right! why are you so afraid of it?! we've had the nhs since the end of world war 2 and living conditions have only improved. stop being so paranoid about control and communism. this is not the 1950s. stop denying yourself such a basic human right. what the hell are you scared of?
Re: ThrishTheBitch – er except you do have the option of going private but you also have the option of getting it on the nhs, please do your research before mouthing offRe: emireland88 – she probably doesnt have the money, theres this myth that the second you start selling records youre loaded, most popstars have said in interviews that they didnt get a penny for ages
Wow, those statistics are amazing. It doesn't make socialized health care look too good.
aww, and some of you are so silly in America universal health care is a good thing. And we can still go private over here if we want to, but the NHS does soooooooooo sooooooo sooooo much good!
Re: amycakes86 – The only thing can agree with you on is if you don't like someone, you can kick them out. Wish we had that here & not elections every four years. Leave the person in if they're doing a good job, sheesh.
Don't call healthcare a "basic human right". I believe that everyone who have it, and it is a right, but I wouldn't consider it a basic human right, sorry. Anyway, if that's how healthcare runs in the UK, that sounds like a good system. I'm not informed enough to say its great or whatever, but it sounds good.
Anyway, regarding the post, I'm really glad to hear that, especially that her chances jumped from 20 to 90 percent!
I wonder how this information got out? You think maybe Simons PR people put it out there? It's nice when you help someone, even nicer when you don't tell everyone how nice you are.
And when you consider that… that a survival rate for cancer is 20% in a socialized country and 90% here how can you sleep at night advocating for socialized healthcare?
I just have to say americans are the most ignorant people on this planet. she went to america because that one very rare type of cancer happened to have the best treatment in the US. Sometimes people leave america and go to other countries for treatment because the treatment for their specific condition is better somewhere else.GASPPPP! not to mention the UK has a higher life expectancy than the US and america lags behind in almost all other health areas compared to european countries. grow up and educate yourselves. by the way, im american:)
the NHS is a flawed system, but believe me, it is a hell of a lot better than the American system. by the way, the fact that this girl is paying half a million dollars for treatment exposes the complete incompetency of the American system. this sort of pioneering treatment is only available to the rich, and that is the flaw. the millions who don”t have health insurance could never get treatment for the most basic things, where as in England there is no need to worry about money. by the way LEAH, you may have good treatments, but when the majority can't get them, there is no point in having them at all.
god some americans are dumb. how can you justify a healthcare system that asks 500,000 dollars for treatment. all right, this treatment isn't available in England, but basic treatment for every day ailments is readily and freely available. how people don't understand this i will never know. a universal healthcare system, whilst not flawless, is a hell of alot better than the american system. having had 5 operations on the nhs and not having to pay, i can tell you that the nhs is way way way better. almost all english people will tell you that. believe me. if i was in america i would have had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for treatment, and that isn't right.
good on simon cowell
At work and yat. Ym bg
The little girl has to leave her socialized health care country to come here for the best treatment in the world… mmm… Say goodbye to such a remarkable surgery if Obama gets his way. Controlling markets tends to produce crap, hence she has to come here where we have private healthcare.
actually he does donate alot to childrens charities.. only mean to chavs that cant sing
you people are so ignorant, it just want to make me cry…you pretty much deserve to pay 20,000 where in Europe it costs close to nothing. If somebody comes to America to have a procedure, it is because that particular surgery is done BETTER in the US. Better had NOTHING to do with socialized healthcare. You can get it in Europe too, but ONE or TWO doctors are BETTER in the US.
I recently needed to go to the ER for a bad cold in France and I was charged WITHOUT insurance 45 dollars. 45!!! Now try that in the good olde US…should I feel sorry for you going broke from paying the overpriced hospital bills when half of you do not even taking the time to read about the health system in other countries? For a competitive nation like ours, being 34 in the world in healthcare a little above Cuba and Brazil seems ok. Americans work had and deserve a system that is both financially affordable and reliable. In Europe when a woman gives birth she is allowed by LAW to stay home with the baby between 1-3 years, depending on the country. Why cannot American mothers get the same benefits? Why cannot people stop worrying about getting sick and not being able to treat their problems? Obesity and diabetes also come from a faulty healthcare system…
Re: LEAH. – AGREED! I lived in England and the health system was ok, but if I had something majorly wrong, I would have flown my happy ass right back here! I'm glad when stars give back, but I hate him!
He's known for doing sweet things like this … especially for the kids. I think he's a sweet heart.
Simon definitely has a soft spot in his heart for children. I remember a season or so ago when he and Ryan spent some time with kids in an impoverished area and he played with them and obviously enjoyed his time with there. I think that was the first time I realized what a softy he really is.
More proof the American health care system is the best on Earth. Another European coming to America for care. If the European way was soooo great why is this child coming here? Simple b/c the European way SUCKS ASS!!! Thanks Perez for showing why American's and the WORLD loves the American health care system
Re: LEAH. – Most Americans CANNOT pay such medical bills even NOW, because 1. they have NO insurance, or 2. their insurance will NOT cover such HUGE bills, and 3. they are NOT rich enough to pay for themselves.
Re: Brandonlk – Having experts in some specific areas of medicine, like the latest Neuroblastom treatment in the US, has nothing to do with the FLAWED healthcare in the US. Most Americans CANNOT afford this treatment anyway. If the parents of this child want the care available in the US then they need to pay for themselves
Why wouldn't he help? He has an endless supply of money.
Good luck with the treatments, Sophie
Re: Brandonlk – this has nothing to do with the system you dick. its to do with a particular treatment that isn't available in another country. there will be treatments that we have that u.s citizens visit us for too. your system is flawed and favours the rich. i just hope none of your family ever needs $500,000 worth of medical help and gets declined by their insurance company.
HEY LEGISLATORS~DON'T MESS WITH OUR HEALTH CARE!!!!!
This is what gov't run health care looks like. We may not be perfect, but we're damn good.
Re: amycakes86 – it shocks me how retarded and brainwashed you are. There is NO SUCH THING AS FREE HEALTHCARE BITCH!!! there is no fairy healthcare mother that comes down and pays!! The TAX PAYERS pay for nhs! And if NHS was sooo amazing, why would there be a private plan that you can elect to pay for? Why are the death rates for breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, etc. higher in Europe than in the US?? bc YOUR SYSTEM DOESN"T FUCKING WORK. Again, it's my analogy of taking meds for 1 person and diluting it for 10…it doesn't work. (cont.)
Re: amycakes86 – (cont.)Is the US system perfect? not at all…is it rediculous that a surgery should ever cost $500k, absolutely…but don't glorify your system like it's the second fucking coming of Christ. I don't know when the last time was that you were in the US, but if someone has an emergency and they go to the ER, they CAN't be turned away, even if they have no insurance or if they're not from this country. My friend's mom from Sweden comes here every time her stomach treatments get too complicated and just goes to the ER to get treated For "free" (us tax payers pick up the tab). And FYI I do know plenty about socialized systems. I'm Cuban, I was born there, I still have family there, I have aunts, uncles and cousins in Canada, Spain and France. I've heard the bullshit they have to go through. It is never a good thing to have to rely on one source (let alone the gov't) to run something like healthcare. The more you give them, the more they can take away.
Re: Mancunian – hey genius…I know about nhs and the options. i have family in Canada, france and spain, so i know about those three systems, and i'm Cuban so I know about the system there. Yes, you can get private care, but you're still paying INSANE taxes for the universal plan because SURPRISE!! no such THING as free healthcare. I've heard enough horror stories from my relatives to know the system is crap. Is the US system awesome? not at all, but I'm tired of hearing brainwashed individuals talking about nhs like its the second coming of christ.
that was very kind of him
you can't defend the American system, it is flawed, stupid and unfair. money should never come in the way of health care, and healthcare should never be run like a business trying to make money. yes it should be as efficient as possible, but making money of someone's ailment? so so wrong. having had alot of experience with the NHS, i can tell you it is not flawless, but the treatment that my family has had would run into hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that is unacceptable. Oh and by the way TrishTheBitch, you say insane taxes. i can tell you that there are not many people who pay $500,000 taxes in a year, not even that in a decade, so your point is pretty much void. having to mortgage your own house for healthcare, you would have to be pretty fucking bone arsed stupid to try and defend that. it just isn't fair
and Mancunian is right, for the 1 person that flies to america for this sort of treatment, there are thousands who stay here and get great treatment on the NHS. paying this much for the operation is indefensible, and what about all the people in your country, who get no treatment at all, and have to suffer with flailing healthcare whilst the CEO's of insurance companies celebrate massive profits? continued
continued from above. i know the NHS isn't perfect and needs reform, but for heaven's sake, why can't people see that the american system works? because the poor are ignored, and the rich enjoy their healthcare without thinking of others.
i would say every English person could give you a good story about the NHS, can that be said for the American's? NO! i don't get you TrishTheBitch when you say 'insane taxes' that just isn't accurate so please, shsh. horror stories do exist under both systems, and the British system is far from perfect, but there are less horror stories here than in America because the huge majority of people get treated and are happy with the treatment.
in reality how many people have that sort of money floating around, oh of course, the rich people ie simon cowell with his $50,000,000 salary. it is an amazingly generous and selfless act, and no one should be so cynical to say it is for attention. he has probz saved a life, and this little girl will be so thankful
Re: ThrishTheBitch – If our system is soooo bad why is Obama trying to introduce it into the the US and Bill Clinton before him… Also this free emergency treatment you boasted about My friend wishes she'd known about it as she was rushed into ER while on holiday with heart/pacemaker probs and was promptly handed a $400 bill at the end of it..She had no health insurance and so they asked for a credit card..
mmmmm. damn he looks sexy. and rich and generous too. i like!
Wow! That's very nice of him