Olympic champion, she sells her medal to save a baby

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Silver medalist at the Beijing Olympics, the young Polish woman sold her medal at auction. The goal ? Fund the operation of an eight-month-old baby with a serious heart defect.

An act of great kindness. On August 6, at the Beijing Olympics, 25-year-old Polish Maria Andrejczyk shone in the javelin throw and won the silver medal. Back in her country, she announced on her Facebook page her intention to sell her medal, in order to finance the operation of eight-month-old Miloszek Małysa, suffering from a serious heart defect. Questioned by Polish public television, the athlete delivered a touching message. “A medal is just an object, but it can be of great value to others. This money can save lives, instead of collecting dust in a closet, ”she said. The auctions started at 44,000 euros, with a target set at over 330,000 euros.

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We give him back his medal

The silver medal of Maria Andrejczyk did not take long to find a buyer, and it was the company Żabka Polka, a chain of convenience stores, which finally won, at a price of 106,000 euros. The auction closed on Monday August 16, but hundreds of other people participated in the collection, raising the money needed for the operation of the eight-month-old baby.

The company which acquired the medal congratulated the athlete for his “beautiful and noble” gesture and asked him to keep his medal! Thanks to this momentum of collective solidarity initiated by Maria Andrejczyk, little Miloszek and his parents will soon be flying to the United States to carry out the operation that will save his life.

A journalism student, Barbara is currently doing a work-study master’s degree and writes on parenthood for the Aufeminin Maman, Parole de Mamans and Avis de Mamans websites. She is also …