A 10-year-old Atlanta boy asked friends and family to donate to the hospital that helped him through repeated cases of croup instead of buying gifts for his birthday.
According to People Magazine, Alex Baker told his mom he had “everything he needed.” They set up a fundraising campaign through the Pledge website and the giving began.
Alex was able to raise $250 for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Not only that, but the donations he brought in pushed Pledge’s donation totals over the $1 million mark.
In honor of the milestone, Pledge also donated $2,500 to Alex’s hospital. The company’s CEO James Citron, presented the check to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Alex’s mother, Cat Baker, noted, “He was overwhelmed” to learn that his efforts were so successful.
“I don’t think he really had an idea that, in his eyes, his little self could make a big impact like that,” she added.
Baker explained how she and her husband, Leigh, have worked to teach Alex and his little sister the need to be charitable. She said, “As his parents, we are extremely proud of the way he thinks of others.”
“It was just wonderful to see that he came up with this on his own. Nobody told him to do any of this, so as a parent that was a big score,” she said.
She also stated, “We’re not wealthy at all, but we have everything that we could possibly want and more because there is so much poverty right outside our door.”
“So I just need my children to understand. You just need to be grateful for what you have. And it doesn’t matter if you have a lot or not, you always need to give back where you can,” Baker noted.
“And then what he got out of that, the experience was for him. That’s what he earned with his selflessness. And that was the perfect lesson to be learned here,” she said.