Jack Grealish has shown his classy side by making a generous donation to the devastated family of a mum who died suddenly earlier this month. The Manchester City winger is a supporter of various charitable causes and often steps in to help those less fortunate than himself. His latest donation went to the grieving relatives of Michelle Yates, who passed away at the start of April.
Her death was unexpected, leaving her broken family scrambling to pay for her funeral. They set up an online fundraiser in a bid to raise enough money to cover the costs, with Grealish the top donor. He chipped in with £1,000 and has posted on Instagram urging his followers to give what they can.
The fundraiser reads: “Michelle suddenly passed away at the young age of 55. This has left her family and friends in complete shock and devastation. Michelle was a loving mum to Harry and William, her two sons, an amazing nan, a doting wife and lovely friend.
“Michelle was a generous and kind woman, someone that would give her last pound to anyone that needed it. The family were not prepared for Michelle’s sudden passing and are faced with funding her funeral, while trying to grieve and process their loss.”
The family have so far raised nearly £7,000 of their £8,000 target, with Grealish’s contribution helping them to get close to the magic number.
His previous acts of kindness include a £5,000 donation to fund a young student’s life-saving cancer surgery. Dylan Lamb, a student from Liverpool, was given weeks to live after he was diagnosed with leukaemia following a trip to the doctor with back pain.
He needed an expensive treatment in America to stand the best chance of survival, with Grealish using his social media platforms to raise awareness of Lamb’s case after making his generous donation.
The 29-year-old once made a massive £150,000 contribution to a local hospital, as well as auctioning off a match-worn shirt from his time at Aston Villa in order to raise £55,000 for the NHS.
Grealish is also an ambassador for the Special Olympics and is keen to help young people with disabilities given that his sister has cerebral palsy.
Announcing the partnership in 2022, he said: “I’ve been thinking for some time about how I can best use the platform football has given me to create a positive change, and it had to be something really close to my heart.
“Special Olympics GB is such an important organisation, playing a huge role in tackling the lack of inclusion for hundreds of thousands of kids in the UK with intellectual disabilities.”