Gordan Ramsey is such an a--hole, it fits him...
its a act for TV
he rehabbed a restaurant near me and
he did some pretty nice things for a local kid with cancer
who was a fan of his.
Chef Gordon Ramsay Donates $10K To Beachwood Girl's GoFundMe
The celebrity chef's kindness toward Kallista Flores and her family is shattering his tough kitchen taskmaster image.
By Karen Wall, Patch Staff
Oct 17, 2019 10:10 am ET | Updated Oct 18, 2019 5:18 pm ET
Chef Gordon Ramsay walks hand-in-hand with Kallista Flores, the Beachwood 12-year-old fighting cancer, after he surprised her at school Wednesday. (Leann Lesko, with permission)
BEACHWOOD, NJ — Gordon Ramsay continues to shatter the image he's long cultivated as a tough taskmaster.
The celebrity chef, whose tirades against adults working in his kitchen have become internet memes, surprised Beachwood 12-year-old Kallista Flores at school Wednesday afternoon, fulfilling her wish to meet him.
The video of the meeting — and Ramsay's warmth and generous response to Kallista, who has been battling b-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia since May 2018— has been watched by more than 81,000 people.
(Read more: See It: Gordon Ramsay Surprises Ocean County Girl Fighting Cancer)
But he didn't just give of his time: Ramsay made a $10,133 donation Wednesday night to the family's
GoFundMe campaign, to help them pay the bills associated with Kallista's cancer treatments.
"When I see strong, young girls like you, you inspire me," Ramsay told Kallista after hugging her for the first time at Toms River Intermediate South. He told her he paused shooting on his latest restaurant renovation episode — the show, "Gordon Ramsay 24 Hours to Hell And Back" has been shooting in Toms River at
Caneda's White Rooster — to fulfill Kallista's wish to meet him.
After the meeting, Ramsay took photos with staff at Toms River Intermediate South, and the last shot captured by Leeann Lesko, Kallista's sister, was of Ramsay holding hands with Kallista as they left the school.
Wolf Flores, Kallista's father, said the meeting was a dream come true for his daughter. He had posted her wish to meet Ramsay on Facebook late Tuesday evening, and within hours it reached the chef.
"Seeing Gordon Ramsay yesterday just charged me up," Kallista told
Shawn and Sue on WOBM-FM on Thursday morning.
"I was glued to my phone for the first four months," watching Ramsay's shows, she said in the interview, which you can
listen to here. "It really got me through."
Wolf Flores said the family's insurance has been billed more than $4 million, and he said they long ago met their $16,000 deductible. But the out-of-pocket costs of her treatments have exceeded $25,000, which is why he started the GoFundMe.
Flores left a job with Manchester Township when paid time off ran out during Kallista's hospital stay. He owns WNJ Entertainment, a DJ and entertainment company. His wife, Jodi, works for the U.S. Postal Service.
The family also has received support from Ocean of Love, David's Dream and Believe for Kids, and Embrace Kids, among others, in paying bills and some of the out-of-pocket costs. (Kallista will be at the 105.7 The Hawk's Billboard Radiothon next Thursday, as they work to raise money for Ocean of Love.)
But the support of Ramsay, who brought gourmet cupcakes and macaroons to Kallista, meant the world to her.
"When he's on his show, he acts so mean and tough, but he's just the nicest guy," Kallista said.
That has been the reaction of dozens of people who've seen the video.
"I was never a fan of him, but maybe I have to reconsider," one man wrote on Facebook. "I was never a fan of him either not for any particular reason but I truly love him now!" a woman wrote.
We'll never look at the "idiot sandwich" meme the same way again
