Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny donate to Wrexham girl's cancer fund

Updated 15 August 2022 at 11:19 am·2-min read

Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds (left) and Rob McElhenney during the Vanarama National League semi-final match at The Racecourse Ground, Wrexham. Picture date: Saturday May 28, 2022. (Photo by Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images) — Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have helped fund a local girl's cancer treatment. (PA Images via Getty Images)

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have donated £20,000 to a local Wrexham girl's cancer treatment.

The fund, set up by Melanie and Carl Hodgkiss to pay for alternative treatment for their four-year-old daughter Aria who has brain cancer, aimed to raise £60,000.

The donations from the Hollywood stars and owners of Wrexham Football Club pushed the fund over its target.

As seen on Aria's GoFundMe, the two top donations are from Reynolds and McElhenny who put £10,000 each towards the fund.

Wrexham co-chairmen Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds during a press conference at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham. Picture date: Thursday October 28, 2021. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images) — Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds recently bought AFC Wrexham. (PA Images via Getty Images)

Aria's mother Melanie commented: "This is mind-blowing. I was in tears, happy tears. Then I saw a tweet from Rob saying 'Aria you look beautiful!' I couldn't believe he had donated - it's amazing."

She added: "Then I was sat at the kitchen table and there was another donation of 10k from Ryan. I said to Aria - you are famous and she was saying, 'I'm famous!' I am in total shock."

Melanie also thanked the duo on Twitter for their donations.

Aria totally rocking her Wrexham AFC red shirt @Wrexham_AFC @WrexhamAFCWomen @VancityReynolds @RMcElhenney @leaderlive pic.twitter.com/opJbkjKF26
— Aria VS Dipg (@AriaVsDipg) August 10, 2022

Last year, Aria was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, a rare terminal type of brain cancer that cannot be operated on.

An experimental drug called ONC201 is available to combat the disease but not through the NHS. The treatment is available in Germany and can cost around £3000 per month.

Reynolds and McElhenney bought Wrexham Football Club in 2020 with the duo being seen regularly at games once Covid-19 travel restrictions allowed.

Their ownerships of the non-league football team is set to be depicted in the Disney+ documentary series Welcome to Wrexham which premieres later this August.

A synopsis for the series reads: "From Hollywood to Wales, from the pitch to the locker room, the front office to the pub, Welcome to Wrexham will track Rob and Ryan’s crash course in football club ownership and the inextricably connected fates of a team and a town counting on two actors to bring some serious hope and change to a community that could use it"

Watch below: Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought soccer team without ever meeting each other