Eight-year-old Jesse Starr and seven-year-old Claire Calvin of Franklin County, Missouri, are best friends. But, things got bumpy last year when Claire was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Jesse, who raises hogs as a hobby and sells them at county fair auctions, wanted to help. So, he announced that he would donate all proceeds from this year’s auction to Claire and her family.
Upon hearing this news, the community responded in a big way. At the auction, people in the stands bid higher and higher, with a woman named Kathy Ruwwe finishing with the ridiculous bid of $16,000.
Kathy knew the money was going to a good cause — and really didn’t care if she actually got the pig or not — so, she asked the auctioneer to “sell it again.”
Another round of bids brought in another $3,000 — bringing the total to $19,000, a lot more than the $1,600 that was expected.
Thanks to a clinical trial, Claire is beating the odds and it looks like her tumor is shrinking.
And, alongside Claire is Jesse, whose appreciation for his friend inspired extreme generosity that will not be forgotten anytime soon by their community. (WISH-TV)
