By Kimberly Bosco and Chris Lundy
BEACHWOOD – Gordon Ramsay had one more surprise for a local superfan fighting cancer.
Visiting her at school wasn’t enough for the famous chef and television host. After meeting with Kallista Flores, he donated $10,133 to her GoFundMe. This took the total raised to over the goal of $20,000. It is believed that he matched the figure that was in there at the time.
According to her fundraising page (GoFundMe.com/f/teamkallista), she had been fighting cancer and struggling with her immune system.
Ramsay had stopped in to meet her at Toms River South Intermediate School in Beachwood in between shoots for some shows at nearby restaurants.
The surprise was orchestrated by her father, Wolf Flores, and documented via Facebook live on his social media page. Flores shared a post to social media earlier this week, hoping to garner enough attention to nab a meet and greet with the famous chef for his daughter.
The post read: “she is freaking out because he is in town filming. She is a HUGE fan! Obsessed is more like it! Please keep sharing this until she meets him. She wanted to use her Make A Wish to meet him. Please help this message find a way to Gordon Ramsay! She is a great kid and Gordon Ramsay is her idol! She’d even be happy with a phone call from him. Her room has a cardboard cut out of Gordon…she LOVES him. Please help a little girl with cancer get her wish!”
In the post, a photo shows 12-year old Kallista rocking her short pixie cut with blond on top, somewhat mirroring Ramsay’s own signature cut, holding a sign that says “Cancer Can Suck It.”
Less than 24 hours after the post went up, Flores stood next to Ramsay at Kallista’s school, preparing the surprise of her life.
“This fine individual right here is actually at my daughter’s school,” began Flores, standing next to Ramsay in the video.
“To be here in Toms River in between shoots…I’m just absolutely panicking,” said Ramsay, joking about his own poor performance record at school as a kid. Ramsay was in Toms River filming an episode of his show “Gordon Ramsay’s 24 Hours to Hell and Back” at Caneda’s White Rooster.
“I can’t wait to meet her,” he added.
Flores provided Ramsay with a little bit of background on Kallista’s illness, stating that she was diagnosed last May and now has one year of treatment left to go.
Moments before Kallista came through the door, her father noted “There’s going to be a lot of tears.”
His prediction was right. As Kallista rounded the corner and saw Ramsay, she tossed her belongings to the ground and broke into sobs of pure excitement and surprise before running straight to Ramsay for a big hug.
“When I see strong girls like you, having three of my own…you inspire me,” Ramsay told her.
[adrotate banner="278"]Between happy tears and jokes about music class, Ramsay managed to make the surprise even better with some macaroons, cake, and cupcakes. Although, he admitted he did not make them himself.
Flores added that watching Ramsay’s shows “got her through her cancer treatment.”
“That’s all she did the whole four months she was in the hospital, we watched cooking show after cooking show,” he added.
The pair shared a macaroon and Ramsay provided Kallista with a bit of inspirational advice: “You are a strong winner, remember that,” he said.
Ramsay left off with a promise to keep in touch. Kallista responded “Yes please.”
