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Teen Accidentally Helps Raise Thousands Of Dollars For Child With Leukemia

Sydney Uselton, a teenager from Tennessee, was dress shopping for a formal school function when she accidentally sent a picture of the gown she was trying on to the wrong number, which ultimately led to the fundraising of $34,000 to help a young boy suffering from leukemia.

Uselton snapped two photos of herself trying on a black gown — one of the front design and one of the back — and sent those pictures to a number she thought belonged to a friend to get her opinion.

Turns out, the number she sent the pictures to actually belonged to a father of six, also living in Tennessee, named Tony Wood. His response was heartwarming.

“I believe this message was intended for someone else,” Wood replied. “My wife isn’t home, so I couldn’t get her opinion, but the kids and I think you look stunning in your dress! You should definitely go with that one!”

He then sent a picture of five of his six children giving Uselton their thumbs-up approval of the gown.

In an interview with Daily Mail, Wood explained, “Society puts a lot of pressure on these young women to have a certain look and a certain body build. We try to teach our children to be themselves and not worry about what others think … Even with that, my young daughters already express a desire to ‘fit in’ and I figured this young lady might need that reassurance.”

Uselton’s friend posted a screenshot of Uselton’s unexpected interaction with Wood on Twitter, and it quickly went viral.

When Wood found out that his response, including the picture of his kids, went viral, he recorded all six of his children responding to the statistics and posted it on Facebook. In the video, Wood explains, “You guys are, like, Twitter famous now. There have been over 500,000 likes and more than 100,000 retweets.”

“And some extra prayers for you,” he said, gesturing to his youngest son, Kaizler, a four-year-old with Leukaemia.

This chain of events led to the discovery of the Wood family’s Go Fund Me page, which has been garnering donations ever since. The family’s original Go Fund Me goal was $10,000 but has now reached a total of over $34,000 to help fund Kaizler’s treatment.

“Kaizler is a handsome 4-year-old boy with ringlets bouncing in every direction!” the page description reads. “He is the second youngest of 6 brothers and sisters. He loves playing with cars and monster trucks. He is a HUGE fan of Mickey Mouse and loves riding extra fast on quads (4wheelers). He has a smile that lights up the room and is one of the most loving children you will ever meet. While he can be pretty bashful when you first meet him, he quickly turns into a chatterbox! The most important thing about Kaizler is that he holds a special place in the hearts of so many. Especially in the hearts of his family. It’s impossible to meet him without falling in love with this awesome little man! Please keep him in your prayers as we go through these trying times!”

It’s pretty amazing what the internet is capable of accomplishing these days.

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The daily caller

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