Paris Hilton has donated $5,000 to a fan struggling with muscular dystrophy.

The star met Mike Oliveri in a Los Angeles nightclub in early July, and, touched by his story, the heiress cut her new friend a hefty check to help offset the cost of his medical bills.

Thanking the fashion designer for her generosity in a video posted on his personal website, Oliveri says, "I met her about a week-and-a-half ago... I just thought she was a very sweet person... We became friends and... she just sent me $5,000 and saved my life, literally...

"Paris, the magnitude of appreciation I have for what you did, you didn't have to do that. Just our friendship alone is worth more than you could ever imagine. Having somebody to talk to everyday, and somebody that understands, and somebody that cares, I really appreciate what you did and I hope the whole world understands what an amazing person you are. Words cannot express how I feel. I just want to say, Paris, I love you, thank you so much."

And Oliveri hopes his story helps others get to know the real Hilton.

He adds, "There's a lot of bad, horrible press about Paris... She's not what everybody thinks she is. She is an incredible person... The media, the press, the tabloids - why don't you just get a life... and leave an amazing person alone."