‘What An Angel’: Little Boy Sells Pokemon Card Collection To Save His Ailing Dog

As often heard pet owners go above and beyond for their furry friends, a young boy from the United States has raised the bar significantly. Bryson Kliemann, a die-hard Pokemon lover, sold his Pokemon card collection to earn money for his ailing dog. His gesture of selflessness drew widespread praise and donations from around the world. This heartwarming incident happened in 2021 when the boy was 8 years old and is grabbing headlines again for all the right reasons.

Virginia resident Bryson is reportedly an avid fan of the iconic cartoon series and has spent years collecting Pokemon cards. However, when he realised that his pet dog, Bruce, required expensive surgery, the little boy did not hesitate to sell his collection to raise the necessary funds of $700 (about Rs 58,000).

In an interview with USA Today, Bryson’s mother, Kimberly Woodruff, stated that Bruce grew lethargic and refused to leave his cage, which concerned the family and prompted them to rush him to Southwest Virginia Veterinary Services. Bruce was diagnosed with parvovirus, a highly dangerous dog illness, and the treatment cost was about $700. The family couldn’t afford to pay this amount, and Bryson claimed he couldn’t risk losing his pet.

Bryson supposedly returned home from school the next day with a plan: he took a stack of papers from his bag that contained plans of a stand he envisioned. The drawings, which he drew on the back of his school papers, depicted the intended arrangement of his Pokemon cards on this stand.

He had decided to sell his collection to save his pet. Bryson was however initially discouraged by his mother. Kimberly was in phlebotomy class when her husband sent a picture of her son sitting at a table in the front yard with a wooden sign that stated “Pokémon 4 SALE.”

“It was heartwarming, but it hurt to see,” she said quoted by USA Today.

Neighbours slowly gathered around the Pokeemon card stand, believing the child was selling his cards for extra pocket money. But when they discovered what it was for, word started to spread.

After which Kimberly posted a photo of Bryson at the stand on a neighbourhood Facebook page, hoping that more neighbours might come by. She stated that she did not expect the “overwhelming outpouring of support.”

Some of her Michigan friends encouraged her to put up a GoFundMe for her son because they lived too far away to support the stand in person. So, she created a page titled “Just a Boy Trying to Save His Dog.”

As the news spread and internet donations poured in, many gathered at the young boy’s stand. Reports suggest that by selling each card for $5 to $10 (around Rs 400 to 800), the boy collected $400 (Rs 33,000) in a few days.

Some neighbours brought their own Pokemon card collections and gave Bryson their cards to restock his collection. While others donated money and dog supplies.

Moreover, Bryson’s grandfather, David Cole Jr., said the family has received messages of support from people in Australia, China and Ireland. The GoFundMe campaign had raised almost $19,500 (Rs 16 lakh) within a week.

Kimberly decided to contact local shelters and animal hospitals and utilise the additional money to aid them with whatever they needed or to assist families who were struggling to pay for their dogs’ health care.

The mother-son duo have helped four families pay for their dogs’ medical care, reports claim.

As this story went viral again, social media users showered love and appreciation for the young boys’ effort.

A user wrote, “Love these stories that restore our faith in humanity”.

Another commented, “I love this kid and love his parents”.

“This young boy is a freaking hero, what an angel,” a user said.

“Kid’s going places,” another remarked.