POWAY, CA (KFMB/CNN) – An 8-year-old boy in California used GoFundMe to raise almost $4,000 so his best friend could afford a new wheelchair.
Paul Burnett and Kamden Houshan, both 8, met in kindergarten on the playground and quickly became best friends.
“I just saw him and thought he was going to be a cool person, and he actually turned out to be cool,” Paul said.
Kamden was born with a tumor in his spine and uses a wheelchair to get around. To remove the tumor and live, the 8-year-old would become paralyzed from the chest down.
As the two boys head into third grade, Paul noticed Kamden needed new wheels. He had witnessed firsthand that Kamden’s demo wheelchair improved his friend’s independence.
After hearing about GoFundMe on a YouTube video, Paul told his mom he was going to raise money, so Kamden could have a new wheelchair and could do more things on his own.
“It was very emotional. He knows that Kamden could not go to the bathroom. He’s seen him fall a few times,” said Jenny Burnett, Paul’s mother.
Paul, meanwhile, says he not only wants his friend to be comfortable, but he also thinks a new wheelchair would help the two play more. The friends enjoy playing superheroes, going to McDonald’s and hanging out at the park, according to the GoFundMe page.
“I think he would go super fast if he got this new chair, and we can play more,” the 8-year-old wrote on the page.
In two weeks, Paul’s GoFundMe page exceeded its $3,900 goal to buy Kamden a new, fitted wheelchair.
“I was happy because I have this kind of friend to be kind to me,” Kamden said.
Kamden will receive his new wheelchair in August, and a week later, he will go into surgery. He will be in recovery for two months, and Paul hopes his friend’s new wheelchair will help in that process.
Copyright 2017 KFMB, GoFundMe, Yvonne Houshan via CNN. All rights reserved.
