He’s selfless both on and off the pitch
Roberto Firmino and his wife made a life-saving donation of £59,000 to the family of two Brazilian boys to pay for their medical bills.
The boys, João and Miguel, suffer from spinal muscular atrophy but their parents were struggling to raise enough money to fund surgery in the United States for the children. Their social media campaign to raise funds to cover the medical bills caught traction and reached Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino, who felt compelled to act.
The family were £59,132 short of their £827,032 target, when Firmino and his wife, Larissa Pereira, stepped in to help and donated the remaining money needed to pay for the extortionate medical bills, as reported by Globo.Â
The boys’ parents, Alex Jose de Amorim and Gracieli Schlemmer, thanked Firmino and his wife for their generous donation. Schlemmer posted on social media:Â “Larissa Pereira, Roberto Firmino’s wife, got in contact and left my heart in peace, saying, ‘We are donating the amount that is left’.”
“I cried a lot because we have been waiting for this moment for a long time.”
Firmino himself has chosen not to comment on his act of generosity, typically shying away from the limelight, but Larissa Pereira spoke to Globo about how she found the boys’ story moving.
“We are moved by stories like this. We are also parents and imagine the pain that this family was going through. Roberto is a sensational person, had this noble attitude and helped save two children.
“The most beautiful thing is that he does it without wanting anything in return. It’s from the heart. May it inspire and touch other people. There are many good people, who think about their neighbours and can help in some way.
“It is a pity, and unacceptable, that our country does not provide these medicines, not pay for such treatments to save lives. Very sad.”
