Boy Donates $1000 To 2 Year Old Neighbor’s Leukemia Fund

Wyatt Erber, an 8-year-old from Illinois, could have bought toys, video games, or a new iPad with the $1,000 prize he won from a scavenger hunt. Instead, Erber decided to donate the money to his 2-year-old neighbor, Cara Kielty, who is fighting leukemia.

Wyatt’s mother, Noelle, said:

“He was really aware of what cancer is… When he found out Cara had cancer, his heart sank.”

According to ABC, a local bank sponsored a scavenger hunt with a $1,000 prize the week after Kielty was diagnosed with leukemia. Wyatt immediately decided that he wanted to try to win the scavenger hunt so that he could donate the money to his neighbor.

Noelle added:

“Wyatt immediately said, ‘Let’s do it, and if I win the $1,000, I want to give it to Cara.’ The idea of being able to give a thousand dollars wowed him … I knew he was wanting to do it for Cara, which is the sweetest thing ever.”

Rachel Case, a spokeswoman for First Clover Leaf Bank, told UPI:

“It’s just the sweetest thing that he’s been playing all summer for her. We got goose bumps when we heard. I don’t know any 8-year-olds who would do this.”

The Kielty’s were initially hesitant to take the money from Wyatt but eventually decided to accept it because Wyatt, according to Trisha Kielty, was “such a gracious kid.”

And in light of Wyatt’s generous act, the Kielty’s have received even more donations for their daughter’s treatment. A local charity, Edwardsville Neighbors in Need, matched Wyatt’s gift. The Kielty’s also received a letter from a Canadian man praising the young boy along with a $100.

What do you think of Wyatt Erber’s $1000 donation?