GREENWOOD, S.C. — A 9-year-old boy from South Carolina sold lemonade to raise money for his sick baby brother. In just two hours on Saturday, he made nearly $6,000.
Andrew Emery wanted to help his parents pay for his little brother Dylan’s medical bills. Dylan has Krabbe disease, a rare and serious illness that affects the nervous system.
On Saturday, Andrew set up a lemonade stand at a used truck dealership called Southern Wheels in Greenwood. He also sold “#TeamDylan” T-shirts. He raised $5,860, which was added to $1,300 from a concert the night before and $5,600 from a GoFundMe fundraiser.
“I’m gonna spend it on doctor’s bills and stuff, and buy him a teddy bear too,” Andrew told the Index-Journal of Greenwood. “I just want to help Dylan. He’s my baby brother.”
Dylan’s parents are with him at a hospital in Pittsburgh, where he is receiving treatment. His mother, Melissa Emery, shares updates about his condition on a Facebook page.
“The calls, texts, thoughts, and prayers have been continuous and so numerous we can’t count. We’re so appreciative!! Please keep them coming because we’re grasping at each one to help us through the day.
For the people who are doing fundraisers and donating, I will never be able to repay you for helping us, but please know we’re so thankful, and I pray that God will bless you to the end of the earth!!” she wrote last week.
Andrew’s mother said he was excited from the beginning to have a little brother, and the fundraising is just one way he shows his love for Dylan.
“It’s really hard to explain to a 9-year-old what’s happening. From the minute he found out he was going to be a big brother, he was in love with it,” she said. “I see every day that he’s special, and now everybody else can, too.”
Even though Andrew can’t be with Dylan right now, he talks to him through video calls. He has big plans for when his baby brother comes home.
“I’m going to hug him,” Andrew said.
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