Olympian Auctions Silver Medal so Infant can have Lifesaving Heart Surgery

When Maria, a javelin thrower, heard about 8-month-old Miłoszek Małysa’s battle for survival, she felt compelled to do something to help. The infant has a serious and rare heart defect. His condition was drastically deteriorating, and he urgently needed surgery. His parents sought funds to cover the cost of his transportation and medical care for the complicated surgery at Stanford University Medical Center in the United States. 

As a cancer survivor, Maria knows what it is like to fight against adversity and pain. She overcame bone cancer and a shoulder injury to make her comeback and compete at this summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games. Her attempt was victorious, earning her first medal. 

Athletes make enormous sacrifices to have an opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games, and winning an Olympic medal is every athlete’s dream. Maria cherishes the accomplishment the medal represents. However, she decided her medal was more valuable at auction if the raised funds could help save a child’s life.

“The true value of a medal always remains in the heart,” Maria explained. “A medal is only an object, but it can be of great value to others.”    

Maria stated in her social media auction announcement that Miłozek’s fundraising already had a good head start. It was at the halfway point of reaching its goal of 1.5 million Polish zlotys — roughly $390,000. That was thanks to the family of a recently deceased young boy who generously donated the funds originally meant for their son. Maria hoped her Olympic silver medal would take the fundraising across the finish line. 

Żabka, a popular Polish supermarket chain, won Maria’s silver medal auction with a bid of $125,000. Żabka’s owners gracefully declined to accept the silver medal and returned it to Maria. They stated they were grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such a good cause.

“We decided that the silver medal from Tokyo will stay with Ms. Maria,” a Żabka spokesperson stated. “We were moved by the beautiful and extremely noble gesture of our Olympian.”

Fans showed their generosity by contributing an additional 300,000 ($76,500) to the fundraiser, helping it surpass its original goal.

PassItOn and Foundation For A Better Life believe that Maria Andrejczyk is a true hero for sacrificing her Olympic silver medal to help a desperate family in need who were strangers to her. Her selfless gesture inspired a chain of generous acts: Żabka kindly returned the medal, and fans generously contributed to the fundraising effort. Maria’s compassionate action defines the value of being a True Champion. Please help us honor Maria by sharing her uplifting story. 

Watch video here:  https://youtu.be/zbD40lgvpgc

Please tell us about your everyday hero. The heroes among us are ordinary people whose actions leave a lasting and positive impact in their communities and demonstrate the potential in all of us. Their heroic acts uphold our shared values. Help honor these individuals by creating a billboard and sharing their story at: http://https://www.passiton.com/your-billboards/create

Sign Up to our PassItOn blog to be inspired: http://www.passiton.com/passiton-blog

SHARE this inspiring story with your friends and family to uplift their day. If you find these posts inspirational, consider favoriting PassItOn on Facebook so you never miss out on our weekly posts.