Veterans have certainly made their share of sacrifices. But even when their military service is over, some continue to leave their mark.
On June 30th, of 2016, little Lottie Woods-John was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma. She was only 2 years old. The treatment to battle the cancer and keep Lottie alive was well more than $200,000.
When former Royal Marine Matthew Goodman read last year about the little girl with the rare cancer, he felt he had to do something.
35-year-old Matthew had served during the Iraq war, and a few medals were pinned on his chest for his service. He was extremely proud of his service with England’s Royal Marines. But he knew that those medals were just that medals, and if they could help keep this little girl alive, he would be more than willing to give them up. So Matthew put his three medals up on eBay, with money raised from their sale to go to Lottie’s parents.
Says Matthew: “As a father myself, I couldn’t imagine seeing my baby daughter, Freya, suffering like that and I knew I had to help in some way. My medals were just sitting in the drawer doing nothing, and I thought they could be used for something worthwhile. They were awarded for the sacrifices I made, but I’m happy to forgo that honor if it means helping a little girl in desperate need.”
The medals were, indeed, sold, but it is not known how much they raised. Matthew said that instead of his medals, he would now be proudly wearing a childhood cancer awareness ribbon.
