A tearful Belle Newman with Mark, who bought a Jack Bones shirt for $400 to raise money for Belle’s daughter’s brain tumour treatment.
A T-SHIRT featuring local celebrity Jack ‘Bones’ Ryle raised a whopping $400 at auction at the Lions Den Hotel, with proceeds going to local youngster Ingrid Newman who is battling a brain tumour.
Mr Ryle, a Rossville local, is a regular at the Lions Den and Far North music festival playing the bones or spoons on stage.
“I was only thinking that morning how I was going to fund the food and taxi fares for Ingrid’s next MRI and chemo trip to Brisbane in two week’s time,” her mother Belle Newman said.
Ms Newman said the auction was a spontaneous fundraiser organised by the Lions Den Hotel owner Judy Fry, who donated the shirt, with the money raised thanks to generous strangers.
“A huge thank you to everyone at the Den for their generosity which is greatly appreciated, and especially to Judy Fry and the Lions Den Hotel for their support, and Mark who bought the shirt and everybody who donated.”
The shirt was auctioned off for $400, with a further $490 in donations raised on the night.
“This money means so much to us as Ingrid’s treatment requires me to take her to Cairns every week for chemo and to Brisbane every three months for the unforeseeable future,” the mum of four said.
“I couldn’t believe it, when the bidding went over $200 I just burst into tears.
“These complete strangers who didn’t know us were so generous – it was just amazing.”
Four-year-old Ingrid was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2020 at just 14 months old and the Rossville family has been through numerous operations and extensive stays in Brisbane for surgery and recovery since.
There is a donation tin at the Lions Den Hotel, a scheme ID with Containers for Change and a bank account in Ingrid’s name where donations can be made.
