10-year-old boy donates all he has
– $100 –
to help a classmate who needs a liver transplant.
One hundred dollars is a fortune for a 10-year-old boy.
Enough to buy 112 packs of Bubblicious Strawberry Splash bubble gum.
Or 27 pounds of Skittles.
Or 60 MacGregor baseballs, plus a blue plastic bucket to store them.
None of those possibilities occurred to Gable Brown when the Highland Creek Elementary fourth-grader gave all he had – $100 in saved allowance – to help a classmate in need of a liver transplant.
And where had he been storing this fortune?
“In my underpants drawer,” he said Friday with a shrug. “It was collecting dust.”
He figured it could be put to better use by his classmate Sheranne Khan, who flew to Cincinnati on Thursday night with her dad for medical tests. She has been battling autoimmune liver disease all her life. She hopes for a new liver.
The family has medical insurance, but doctors have said it likely won't cover all costs. So, the school launched a fundraiser: “Lend a Hand for Sheranne.” When Sheranne spoke to the class this month about her situation, Gable was moved.
Off to the underpants drawer.
Gable's dad, impressed, matched his gift. Next thing Gable knew, his teacher told him to go to the principal's office. He figured he must have done something wrong – until he saw the principal, Ann Nivens.
“She was crying,” he said, his blue eyes widening at the memory. “She gave me a hug.”
Melissa Khan, Sheranne's mother, said her family has been overwhelmed by the support from the school, which has raised $4,000. Gable's gift floored her.
“He's a really cute kid, just absolutely selfless,” she said. “He didn't even think twice about it.”
Gable is bowled over by the reaction. He keeps pointing out that he wasn't doing anything with the money anyway. But after landing in the newspaper and on TV, he realizes it's a big deal.
Not that he's letting celebrity change him, though. Asked if he had any parting words of wisdom for other kids, he didn't hesitate.
“If they contact the school,” he said, “they can give money to Sheranne.”
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