By their very nature, children are brimming with surprises. They have the ability to astound you the next day after making you cry out in frustration the day before. They are notoriously unpredictable, to put it simply.
However, young Addie Bryan‘s antics have caused more than a few people to take notice. She had several years of intensive medical care (free of charge) at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children since she was born with the rare bone condition Larsen Syndrome, which caused her legs to twist and render them immobile.
It’s thanks to the help of the good doctors that she can now not just walk, but run, and so decided she wanted a way to pay back the hospital for all its incredible help.
The solution she came up with resulted in her coming home each evening with a bag full of cash.
With Addie‘s birthday coming up, it would have been understandable for her to ask for new toys or possibly the newest technology that would make her famous at school.
She was just interested in raising as much money as she could for the facility that had restored her legs. She aimed to earn about $8,000 for the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.
Speaking to USA Today, she said: “I just hold a sign that says, ‘For my birthday, I want to raise $8,000 for Scottish Rite Hospital.”
Naturally, as soon as Addie’s story reached the media, a drive started that would ultimately lead to all of her expectations being surpassed.
Her story was picked up by People Magazine, which helped it get attention from the general public and resulted in a nationwide donation drive. With all of the donations combined, Addie was able to give the hospital about $19,500, but that wasn’t even the end of it.
“I thought, ‘Wow, that is a lot of money,’” Addie said.
Soon after, a cheque payable to Scottish Rite was handed to Stephanie Brigger, vice president of development at the hospital. It came from an anonymous sender who, it seems, was so moved by Addie’s work that they also made a staggering $50,000 donation!
“I am almost speechless because I am the one who opened it,” Brigger said.
“The anonymous donor wrote about seeing Addie and the pictures of her and then seeing her running. That’s a lot of casts and a lot of prosthetic devices. Every little bit and big amounts help us do what we do.”
Addie’s work was able to contribute to a whopping $70,000 being raised for Scottish Rite Hospital!
It seems evident to me that we can all benefit from Addie’s inspiring tale and, at the very least, be motivated by what she did. She was able to raise a truly amazing sum for a hospital that had treated her when she most needed it out of pure compassion and determination.
More than we may ever realize, we are all capable of a great deal more. For Addie, all it took to realize a dream was to stand on a corner with a sign she had fashioned herself. She was able to transform so many people’s lives from there.
Watch the video below for more details:
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