Helping Kids Help Kids

In 1992, a baby boy named Michael Leeland was diagnosed with leukemia. He needed a $200,000 bone marrow transplant. Without it, he would die within a few weeks. Jeff and Kristi, Michael's parents, couldn't afford it on his teaching salary and their medical insurance wouldn’t cover it.

That's when Dameon, a 325 pound 7^th grader, who was the most picked-on kid in school, emptied his bank account. One day he came to school and handed Jeff 12 five-dollar-bills to help save Michael's life.

A bank account was started with Dameon's $60. Inspired by his donation, other students and the community got involved. In less than four weeks, kids raised over $227,000 for Michael's life-saving transplant with the bone marrow donated by his brave, seven-year-old sister Amy.

Dameon the outcast became Dameon the hero! He helped others experience what can happen when compassion, generosity, and integrity are put into action. Michael’s father, Jeff, used left over money to start Sparrow Clubs USA, a national organization that enables kids to help children in medical need. Today, Michael Leeland is a compassionate 21-year-old young man. He is active in Sparrow Clubs within his community.

Sparrow Clubs’ belief is that kids will do heroic things when they have heroic things to do. They are the nation’s only youth-based charity that provides financial and emotional support for critically ill children and their families by empowering kids to help kids. Sparrow Clubs is changing how young people perceive themselves and the world around them.

Mazama High School, in our local community, has adopted a Sparrow named Nikko. His mother’s anemia during pregnancy resulted in him being born at 26 weeks on August 14, 2013, weighing only 2 lbs. 4 oz. He has had five blood transfusions and surgery to repair a hole in his intestine. The goal was for him to go home for the first time today, Thanksgiving.

Today’s gift was to give money to help Nikko and his family. It is inspiring to see an organization teaching children about philanthropy—helping kids help kids in need.

In Giving,
Robin the Sparrow