Sambora Aides Ailing Teen

BON JOVI rocker RICHIE SAMBORA is auctioning tickets for his band's upcoming New York concerts to help a young girl battle a brain cyst.

The guitarist is working with a New York radio station to help the family of New Jersey high school student Kelly Mahon pay for their daughter's massive medical bills.

Sambora - who shares Mahon's alma mater at Woodbridge High - will begin the bidding for the two Bon Jovi packages at $1,500 (GBP750) when the auction hits the airwaves on Friday (11Jul08) on New York's rock radio station WPLJ.

The winner will receive tickets to the band's upcoming concerts at Madison Square Garden next week (begs14Jul08), autographed memorabilia, and an invitation to meet Sambora backstage before the show.

Mahon was left nearly incapacitated after complications followed a 14-hour operation last autumn (07) to remove the cyst - leaving her dependent on a respirator and suffering from blurred vision.

She remains hospitalised, although doctors say her progress indicates she could return home soon.