Ryan Reynolds has donated £10,000 to a British 13‑year‑old with a rare and aggressive heart cancer, helping push community fundraising beyond its target so the girl can visit New York this Christmas.
Lexi, from Wrexham in North East Wales, was diagnosed weeks after returning from a family holiday in June. The diagnosis led to two open‑heart surgeries, the fitting of a pacemaker and ongoing intensive chemotherapy, her mother Rebecca Collins said. The family also suffered the loss of Lexi’s dog while she was in surgery.
Members of the local community had already raised money for Lexi through separate efforts. Collins’s own fundraiser had reached more than £13,000, and Wrexham Police FC — a team made up of off‑duty police officers — launched a GoFundMe titled “Help Lexi’s dream take flight” with an initial target of £5,000. Reynolds’s contribution to that appeal was announced by the club and took the combined fundraising beyond a stated £20,000 goal.
Wrexham Police FC thanked Reynolds on social media, saying in a post that his “incredible generosity” meant Lexi would be able to travel to New York “when she’s feeling well enough.” The club added that while not all heroes wear capes, “this one wears a red and black suit,” a reference to Reynolds’s film role as the Marvel antihero Deadpool.
Lexi is a devoted fan of the 1990 film Home Alone and has said her biggest wish is to see the Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree in New York, according to her mother. Collins said any funds left after travel arrangements would likely be used to create a “dream bedroom” at home where Lexi can rest and recover.
Reynolds, who co‑owns Wrexham AFC with Rob McElhenney, has previously contributed to local cancer causes. In May, Reynolds and McElhenney donated £5,000 to a fundraiser for a 42‑year‑old who was skydiving for Young Lives v Cancer.
Wrexham Police FC was founded in 2022 and has raised more than £65,000 for charity through matches and events since its inception. The club said it made helping Lexi a priority ahead of a scheduled match described in posts as the team’s last game.
Collins described her daughter’s response to treatment as marked by “fearlessness and strength,” and said the family wanted to give Lexi something to look forward to after months of hospital stays and uncertainty. The fundraising and Reynolds’s donation, she said, have given the family renewed hope as they plan for Lexi’s recovery and, when medically possible, a trip to New York.
Organisers of the GoFundMe did not immediately provide a public breakdown of how the money will be allocated for travel, accommodation and home improvements, and representatives for Reynolds did not respond to requests for comment. Medical details were provided by the family; hospital officials did not comment on the record.