Daughter of former UFC fighter to undergo brain surgery after successfully reaching GoFundMe target

Former UFC fighter Steven Ray with his daughter Myla
Former UFC fighter Steven Ray with his daughter Myla [Image Courtesy: @stevenraymma on Instagram]

The daughter of former UFC fighter Steven Ray is set to undergo critical brain surgery after an overwhelming response from the community helped the family reach their fundraising goal of £100,000 on GoFundMe.

Myla Ray, a young girl battling from frontal lobe epilepsy, is on the verge of undergoing a life-saving brain operation. The urgency of the situation drew the attention and compassion of UFC president Dana White, who generously donated £10,000 towards Myla's treatment.

Recent reports from The Courier unveiled the astonishing results of this collective effort, revealing that the GoFundMe campaign surpassed all expectations by raising a staggering sum of over £118,000.

In the absence of the imperative surgery, which is scheduled to occur on Wednesday at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh, medical professionals have issued a grave warning. Without intervention, Myla Ray's life hangs in the balance, as there is a significant risk of her experiencing a fatal outcome during sleep.

Myla's father, Steven Ray, is currently an athlete in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and has been actively competing in the world of mixed martial arts since 2010. His notable career includes a stint in the UFC from 2015 to 2019. As of now, 'Braveheart' is fully focused on his training camp in Bathgate, preparing diligently for his upcoming bout in the PFL Million Dollar Tournament, which is scheduled to take place next month.


Former UFC fighter Steven Ray describes his daughter's battle with life-threatening epilepsy

Former UFC lightweight contender Steven Ray and his wife Natalie have faced incredibly challenging circumstances in their lives in recent years.

Their daughter, Myla, has been diagnosed with frontal lobe epilepsy, a condition that has caused her to experience thousands of seizures since her diagnosis in 2019. The severity of her condition was highlighted when she had to be put into an induced coma in March 2020, as she endured over 700 seizures in a single day.

In a recent interview with The Courier, 'Braveheart' opened up about their difficult journey:

"The surgery is close to the motor part of her brain and if any part of that starts bleeding or gets damaged, Myla will become paralysed. There is also obviously a chance of death because they are working on her brain. It is pretty scary."

He added:

"We are obviously hoping that it goes well. To be honest I am just blocking it out a little bit, I can’t control what happens, I have put my faith into the people that know what they are doing."

Quick Links