Oh, Reddit, you incorrigible band of do-gooders with an insatiable urge to better society through the power of upgoats.
Although you may have noticed a spate of false charity in r/atheism yesterday, the ability of Reddit to act as a force of internet good has not been diminished. Three-year-old Lucas Gonzalez- who suffers from an immune condition called Hyper IGM that leaves him vulnerable to infection- is in need of a bone marrow transplant to give him a chance at living a normal life. But understandably, the associated $50,000 price tag was a bit unmanageable for his parents, who struggled to raise cash to fund little Lucas’ treatment. Luckily for the Gonzalez family, Reddit came to the rescue- to the tune of $31,000 in just half a day.
The community was so generous, Lucas’ dad actually put out a call to stop the donations, because the need had been fulfilled. There was even a George Bailey-esque moment that brought a bit of levity to a serious situation, when the kid’s father- user IronyX- posted:
r/trees you magnificent bastards! They’re all donating $4.20 !! EPIC. Cheers to you, my dendrophiliac friends!
A final edit from Lucas’ dad Luis reads:
$31,000.00 – REDDIT. HOLY CRAP. YOU ARE CUT OFF. STOP. STOP NOW. WE HAVE ALL THAT WE NEED. I CANNOT THANK EACH OF YOU ENOUGH. BUT SERIOUSLY, STOP DONATING NOW.
Our total is $44,405.00. AMAZING. 😀
Let the generous spirit continue!! Here are some great ways to give to others, right now!
He’s also giving back to the community- Luis will be getting a tattoo of the Reddit alien in honor of their generosity toward his ailing son.
[Reddit]