Success Kid Is Using His Meme To Help His Dad Get A Kidney Transplant

When we first met Success Kid, he was just a fierce toddler with a firmly-clenched fist.

Now, he's an 8-year-old boy with a very sick father.

News 96.5 reports Success Kid – née Sammy Griner – has unwittingly helped fund his father Justin's medical care.

After suffering kidney failure in 2009, just three years after his initial diagnosis of kidney disease, Justin hopes to find a live donor to help end his thrice-weekly dialysis treatments.

However, the procedure is expensive even with the help of Medicare.

The Griner family turned to GoFundMe, hoping to raise $75,000 for Justin's kidney transplant and some of the medication he'll need following the procedure.

And although Sammy's mother, Laney, was nervous to link her husband's care to the her son's Internet fame, the family is reaping the benefits of the famous photograph. In six days, more than 1,400 people have donated over $32,500.

Although Laney still shakes her head at the idea that a photo shot of her son in 2007 has spread so far, she's realistic about its benefits for her family.

She told Good Morning America,

By now, [the image is] just out there. What am I going to do? At least it's positive. Without that happening, how much could I get this recognition about my husband's kidney transplant?

If the campaign is fully funded and the procedure goes according to plan, let's hope for a follow-up Success Kid image from both Sammy and his soon-to-be healthy dad.

Citations: Success Kids Dad Needs a Kidney Transplant (ABC News )