If we said the name Sammy Griner, you probably wouldn’t know who were talking about; but the mere mention of ‘Success Kid’ instantly conjures up the image of the sand-eating tot from that viral meme.
True to his nickname, the now nine-year-old Sammy has made headlines this week – by saving the life of his ailing father, Justin.
Justin has battled a chronic kidney disease for years, and when his family finally got a call last year informing them that a new kidney was available, it seemed his prayers had been answered.
There was a catch, however: while the cost of the kidney was covered, the price of the medication was not; and that created major problems for Justin.
In an interview with 11Alive, he said: “If you don’t have the money and you can’t get your medications, they won’t give you a transplant. Because your body will reject the kidney without the medications.”
Enter Sammy, who inspired the family to use his internet fame to make an appeal for help from the public.
After setting up a GoFundMe page and sharing a heart-wrenching plea for help for his ailing father, Sammy sparked a wave of mass sympathy. Before long, kind members of the public were donating generously to help Justin win his fight.
In the end, good Samaritans raised a whopping $100,000, which enabled Justin to undergo the transplant. He is now thriving, thanks to the generosity of the public – and he credits son Sammy for everything.
“Now, I have to buy him everything he wants because I owe it to him. He’ll always have that over me – well, Dad, remember I did save your life,” joked Justin.
What an amazing end to this story. We think it’s safe to say that we haven’t heard the last of Success Kid!
