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---
title: &quot;Success Kid&quot; GoFundMe Campaign For His Dad&#x27;s Kidney Surpasses Goal
description: The kid behind the &quot;Success Kid&quot; meme has raised a lot of money for his dad&#x27;s kidney transplant.
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author: Alexandra Sifferlin
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article:published_time: 2015-04-15T18:54:03.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:18:47.240Z
article:section: Health
og:title: &quot;Success Kid&quot; GoFundMe Campaign For His Dad&#x27;s Kidney Surpasses Goal
og:description: The kid behind the &quot;Success Kid&quot; meme has raised a lot of money for his dad&#x27;s kidney transplant.
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twitter:description: The kid behind the &quot;Success Kid&quot; meme has raised a lot of money for his dad&#x27;s kidney transplant.
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# Boy of 'Success Kid' Meme Fundraises For Father's Kidney Transplant

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## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ

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| Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| Metric | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 |
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| Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 |
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by 

[Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/)


## Alexandra Sifferlin


Apr 15, 2015 6:54 PM UTC

by 

[Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/)


## Alexandra Sifferlin


Apr 15, 2015 6:54 PM UTC

If you’ve spent time on the Internet, you’re probably familiar with the “Success Kid” meme: A young baby looking confident with a fist full of sand. As it turns out, memes are real people—[who face real problems](http://abcnews.go.com/Health/internet-success-kids-dad-kidney-transplant/story?id=30288035).

The child behind “Success Kid” is 8-year-old Sammy Griner, and his father is in need of a kidney transplant. The Griner family recently launched a [GoFundMe campaign](http://www.gofundme.com/opp5cs) to raise money for the medical bills. The family was asking for around $75,000 and has already surpassed that goal. According to ABC News, the site reached about $9,000 in just five days. Currently, funds are at over $86,000 in just a week.

> [](https://twitter.com/BuzzFeed/status/588144794502696960)

Sammy’s mom, Laney Griner, told ABC News that while at first she wasn’t happy about a photo from her son at the beach had gone viral, today she’s happy it happened. “By now, it’s just out there. What am I going to do? At least it’s positive,” she said. “Without that happening, how much could I get this recognition about my husband’s kidney transplant?”

> [](https://twitter.com/laneymg/status/588378192886378496)

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