Yahoo News Rod Stewart gives group of disabled kids £25000: 'I have to do something'
Sir Rod Stewart is a legend.
The 72-year-old star has donated almost £25,000 to a group of disabled children, who protested against cuts in healthcare funding in America.
Three weeks ago, a group of children with disabilities and their parents got a bus from Louisiana to Washington to rally against the proposed cuts in Medicaid, the US government health insurance they all rely on.
Rod saw a segment on the ‘Erin Burnett OutFront’ show about the group of children with disabilities and their parents, who wanted to charter a bus from Louisiana to Washington to rally against the proposed cuts in Medicaid, the US government health insurance they all rely on.
But the Tach Mommas of Louisiana group needed about $30,000, and they’d raised only $7,000.
After seeing the news Rod contacted his manager, Arnold Stiefel, and asked how he could help the group.
He said in an email: ‘I’ve just seen something on CNN that’s heartbreaking. It was a group of families with severely disabled children who are driving to Washington to confront about health care cuts. See if you can find out who they are.
‘I’d like to help in some way.’
Rod – who has children Kimberly, Ruby, Sean, Renee, Liam, Sarah, Aiden, and Alastair – felt as a parent he was obliged to come to the group’s aid.
He wrote back to Stewart: ‘I can’t think of a better cause. By all means.’
Arnold told CNN: ‘He was so touched and heartbroken and actually teary.
‘He said to me ‘As a father of eight I have to do something now.”
Rod’s team contacted the co-founders of Trach Mommas, Angela Lorio and Jessica Michot, and the star wrote out a cheque worth $23,000 to help them with their task.
They were shocked by the music legend’s kind gesture.
Angela said: ‘Medicaid being cut, it’s not just numbers. And to have a person like Rod Stewart be so touched that he would do something like this to pay for the rest of our bus trip, it just blows my mind. It really, really, blows my mind.’
Rod ended his concert Tuesday night at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, with a video tribute to the families who took the road trip.
‘Some of you may know that I live in America and pay my taxes here,” the British singer said. “I’m neither a Democrat nor a Republican, but I am a father.’
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