Olympian Maria Andrejczyk Auctions Off Medal To Pay For Young Boy's Surgery
August 18, 2021
Polish Olympian Maria Andrejczyk earned the silver medal in the javelin throw at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
On August 11, she announced the auctioning of her prized medal to help save a young boy's life.
Maria Magdalena Andrejczyk / Facebook
Just five days after securing the silver medal in javelin, Andrejczyk announced the auction on her Facebook page.
She chose to raise funds for Miłoszek Małysa, an 8-month-old boy who needs to travel from Poland to Stanford University in California to have life-saving heart surgery. She does not know Małysa, but wrote that she knew his cause was the right choice after reading online pleas for help from his parents.
Andrejczyk wrote that MaÅ‚ysa needed 1.5 million Polish zlotys — about $385,000 — to cover the costs of his transportation and treatment.
"The true value of a medal always remains in the heart," Andrejczyk told the Times of London. "A medal is only an object, but it can be of great value to others. This silver can save lives, instead of collecting dust in a closet. That is why I decided to auction it to help sick children."
On August 17, she announced that the auction was closed. Zabka, a Polish convenience store chain, made the winning bid.
Zabka confirmed the good news on Facebook. The store also gracefully declined to accept her silver medal.
"We were moved by the beautiful and extremely noble gesture of our Olympian," the store wrote. "We also decided that the silver medal from Tokyo will stay with Ms. Maria."
Click Here For The Most Popular On Sunny Skyz
Couple Rescues Prairie Dog From Their Dog's Mouth, Then Decides To Adopt It
My Girlfriend Gifted Me My Father’s Handwriting To Keep Forever
We Can’t Stop Looking At These Adorable Baby Loon Photos Taken On A Lake
This Couple Built A Grass Patch For Their Cat, And She’s Obsessed With It
This All-Black ‘Goth House’ In Indiana Is Going Viral. Wait Until You See The Inside
Meet Igor: The Fluffy Poltergeist Dog With The Most Unhinged Adoption Bio Ever
Baby Elephant’s Trunk Steals The Show In Adorable Treat Time Video
What Happens When A Man With A Hose Meets A Group of Kids? Pure Magic
Chicken Or Pigeon? The Internet Can’t Believe This Bird Is Real
Mom Surprises 4-Year-Old Son With First Apartment After 14 Months In Homeless Shelter
Bear Vs. Sprinkler: Hilarious Garden Moment Caught On Camera