An 8-year-old boy who sold his Pokémon card collection to help pay for his sick puppy’s lifesaving medical care learned that compassion can come full circle.
Bryson Killean noticed his beloved dog, Bruce, wouldn’t come out of his kennel in May and alerted his mom, Kimberly Woodruff. They rushed the pup to emergency care, where they found out that Bruce had Parvo, a highly-contagious and potentially fatal canine virus.
The family couldn’t afford the $700 medical bill, so Bryson decided to set up a roadside stand and sell his Pokémon cards to help cover the costs. Kimberly posted a photo of her son online and started a GoFundMe campaign, which quickly received thousands of dollars in donations.
But the story doesn’t end there. Pokémon employees in Bellevue, Wash., heard about the selfless boy and sent him a letter of appreciation for trying to save his dog’s life, as well as a package of rare cards that likely aren’t available in stores right now.
The letter reads: “Hey Bryson, we were so inspired by your story about selling your cards for your dog’s recovery, these are some cards to help you replace the ones you had to sell.”
Bryson has reunited with his canine companion, who needs a few more vaccines but has recovered and is healthy again.
“I’m happy he’s home,” the boy told WCYB. “And I’m proud of myself.”
The extra money from the GoFundMe campaign will fund veterinary care for other needy pets in southwestern Virginia.
