An 8-year-old boy sells his 'prized' Pokémon cards to save his sick dog — then many strangers showed up
For every person, the thing closest to their heart is also their most prized possession. It does not always have to be expensive or something absolutely rare. Bryson Kliemann, an 8-year-old boy from Virginia, decided to sell his treasured Pokémon cards to save his sick dog, Bruce. While it was certainly not enough to fund his pet’s surgery, his story rippled across the country, receiving thousands of donations for the treatment, per USA Today.
Kliemann was introduced to trading cards by his father at 4 years old. Ever since, it has been the only present he wishes for on birthdays, Christmas, and holidays. “His Pokémon cards are his most prized possession,” said Kimberly Woodruff, 26, his mother. Hundreds of his collections were not stacked in binders and lock boxes. On the other side of the story is the boy’s beloved dog, Bruce, who was diagnosed with parvo, a contagious virus, a few years after his adoption. Despite attempts to help the dog with self-administered vaccines by Woodruff, he had no recovery.
Once a “playful puppy”, Bruce never left his cage and also began losing weight after the diagnosis. Veterinarians said the treatment would cost about $700 for the first three days, and more expenses would pile up eventually. The family could not afford this. “Mom, I don’t want Bruce to die. I’m going to pray that he doesn’t die,” the kid told his mum. This is when the little one made the brave decision to put up a card stand on the roadside to raise money for the treatment. Initially, Woodruff tried to talk him out of it and suggested he should not worry about the money.
However, firm in his resolve, Kliemann went with his guts. The next day, Woodruff received a photo from her husband of her kid holding the stall in their neighborhood. She broke down. “It was heartwarming, but it hurt to see. I didn't want this to be something he had to worry about. That's my job,” she said. Nevertheless, the brighter side of it all was how her son had stood up for his pet, and it made her realize that he was raised “right.” Soon, curious neighbors assembled near his stall and discovered the story behind the little boy’s efforts.
In no time, word traveled far and wide. Some of Woodruff’s friends from Michigan suggested she set up a GoFundMe for Kliemann. When she did, the donations accelerated, in addition to an outpouring of love and support. Popular YouTuber RealBreakingNate (@RealBreakingNate) also made a few donations. At present, the campaign has raised $28,425, and the kid was also able to sell his cards for $5 to $10 and collected $400 in two days. A few kind neighbors also pitched in with their own card collections and other relevant supplies for Kliemann’s business. WSLS 10 News (@Wslstv10) covered the boy's touching story to help share the word.
The family had adopted Bruce, a black lab mix, in March 2021, when a friend’s dog had puppies. Earlier, the boy used to weep every time they returned from the local animal shelter. It did not take long for them to become best friends and “inseparable.” Bruce is “back to normal times,” and they were able to help four other families pay for their dogs’ medical treatments.