Former UFC fighter Sam Stout and his wife Jessie have appealed to the public in the wake of the tragic death of their one-month-old daughter.
Stout, 36, fought 20 times for the UFC before retiring following a defeat by Frankie Perez in 2015.
He announced the new of his daughter's death last week and has now started a GoFundMe page.
Writing on Instagram, he said: "Most of you already know that we lost Sydney Love Stout in her sleep the night before last. We tried to save her but it was too late.
"The last month with her was the best month of my life, and this is now the worst time of my life... it still doesn’t feel real.
"Jessie and I haven’t let go of each other since yesterday and we will continue to hold on to one other for the rest of our lives.
"We will be eternally scared from this. We appreciate all the love we have already received from the people around us. We Love you Sydney bean."
The fundraising page was set up to raise $5,000 but is already closing on on $30,000 after two days.
The appeal reads: "As you all may now have heard, Sam and Jessie Stout recently suffered the loss of their beautiful one month old daughter, Sydney Love Stout, this past week.
"During this unimaginable time there are going to be unforeseen costs for the Stouts. A few of us felt setting up a GoFundMe would be appropriate so those who want to donate in Sydney’s memory to help Sam, Jessie and their six-year-old daughter Logan, with day-to-day costs, counselling, bills associated, etc, can do so.
"Please continue to send all thoughts, love, healing vibes, and prayers to Sam, Jessie, Logan, and their family, as they work through the most difficult time of their lives."
Stout ended his mixed martial arts career with a record of 20 wins from 33 fights.
