Viral Kid Meme Photo Helps Raise $80,000 For Dad’s Kidney Transplant Surgery

A photo of a cute boy clenching his fist, accompanied by a mean face taken a few years ago in Jacksonville proved to be useful until this day for the Griners. It helped the family raise $80,000 for the kidney transplant surgery of the kid’s father.

The amount, raised via a crowdfunding site, were donated in less than a week, reports Orlando Sentinel. The site used the image of the kid – initially known as the Success Kid in a meme made by his parents – which had a great recall.

Actually, Justin Griner, the father, was grappling with kidney failure even before his famous son Sammy was born. Now 39, he was diagnosed with kidney ailment in 2006 that progressed to kidney failure after three years. He initially managed it with dialysis that last 12 hours weekly, but now he needs to undergo the transplant.

Dialysis is needed when a patient develops end-stage kidney failure or when a person loses about 85 to 90 percent of kidney function. Dialysis removes waste, salt and extra water to prevent it from building up in the body, keeps a safe level of certain chemicals in the blood such as potassium, sodium and bicarbonate, and helps to control blood pressure, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

Eighty percent of the post-surgery needs of the father would be covered by Medicare, but the Griners still need thousands of dollars they would pay from their personal funds which have been depleted by the dialysis.

Using the baby image of Sammy proved to be a wise decision for the couple when they set up an account in GoFundMe for the surgery since all it took them was six days to raise over $80,000.

Laney admits, “We’ve had so many people comment this brought smiles to their faces and they donated because of that,” quotes Fox News. Sammy is now a big boy.

To contact the writer, email: v.hernandez@ibtimes.com.au