Boxing legend Donald Curry has been diagnosed with a heartbreaking brain disease and his family is appealing for support to fund his treatment.
The 63-year-old was champion in two weight divisions during his career and won an impressive 34 of his 40 professional fights before retiring in 1997.
Now, however, he has been diagnosed with traumatic encephalopathy syndrome, a brain condition that is usually caused by repeated head trauma.
In an online post, Curry's son Donovan shared the shocking news and asked for help.
He wrote: 'I am reaching out to the boxing community to ask for their help in finding a long-term care facility for my father.
'A few years ago, with the help of Chuck Williams, my father underwent a brain scan at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, where he was officially diagnosed with traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES).
Donald Curry, also known as 'The Lone Star Cobra', celebrates after beating Colin Jones in 1985
Jones now suffers from a brain disease, which often occurs from repeated head trauma.
'This condition has caused impairments in judgment, reasoning, memory and behaviour, including poor impulse control.
“For some time, he was being cared for at an incredible church facility in Fort Worth, thanks to the support of his former trainer, Paul Reyes, who recently passed away.”
Donovan then went on to explain the reason why Curry could no longer stay there, revealing that he had to leave “due to incidents of fighting and rule violations.”
“He is currently staying at a hotel in Fort Worth,” the post continued. 'We are looking for a center that specializes in patients with conditions like my father's, ideally one that operates free of charge.
Curry's family is now asking for help finding him a facility to continue his treatment.
Curry enters the ring before a fight against Lloyd Honeyghan at Caesar's Palace in 1986
'If you know of any resources, facilities or organizations that can help, please don't hesitate to reach out.
“Thank you for your time and support during this difficult time.”
The Boxing Hall of Famer fought the likes of Lloyd Honeyghan, Terry Norris and Mike McCallum during his successful career.
His last fight was in 1997 when he lost to Emmett Linton before making the decision to hang up his gloves for the last time.