Polish javelin thrower Maria Andrejczyk took the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. While she might have come in second at the games, what she did next was pure gold.
Less than two weeks after ascending the winner’s podium, Andrejczyk took an extraordinary leap of generosity, auctioning off her medal to raise funds for Miłoszek Małys, an 8-month-old Polish boy in critical need of heart surgery.
The athlete had never met Miłoszek or his family. She learned of his struggles through social media. But 25-year-old Andrejczyk, a cancer survivor herself, knew just how important obtaining timely medical intervention could be.
It was estimated that costs for medical expenses plus travel from Poland to California’s Stanford University where the operation would be performed would total 1.5 million Polish zlotys (about $385,000).
With half the sum already raised through online contributions, Andrejczyk hoped her medal would bring in the rest. The winning bid not only met but exceeded the original fundraising goals.
Goodnews Network
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