This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.

He's Selling His Rio Silver Medal To Help A 3-Year-Old With Cancer

He's Selling His Rio Silver Medal To Help A 3-Year-Old With Cancer
Poland's Piotr Malachowski took second in the Rio Olympics discus, but made a winning move by auctioning his silver medal to raise money for a 3-year-old cancer patient.
Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
Poland's Piotr Malachowski took second in the Rio Olympics discus, but made a winning move by auctioning his silver medal to raise money for a 3-year-old cancer patient.
Poland's Piotr Malachowski took second in the Rio Olympics discus, but made a winning move by auctioning his silver medal to raise money for a 3-year-old cancer patient.
Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
Poland's Piotr Malachowski took second in the Rio Olympics discus, but made a winning move by auctioning his silver medal to raise money for a 3-year-old cancer patient.

It takes a big man to win an Olympic silver medal in the discus.

But it takes an even bigger heart to do what Piotr Malachowski is doing now.

The Polish athlete is auctioning off the medal he won in Rio to raise money for a 3-year-old boy with cancer, Sports Illustrated reports.

In Rio I fought for the gold,” Malachowski wrote Aug. 19 on his Facebook page, per a Facebook translation. “Today I appeal to everyone ― let’s fight together about something that is even more precious: the health of this fantastic boy.”

Olek Szymanski has retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer that begins in the retina, the Mayo Clinic notes.

Malachowski wrote that a procedure to treat it is available only in New York.

As of Tuesday morning, the highest bid for Malachowski’s medal appeared to be about $20,000. The auction reportedly ends Aug. 26, this coming Friday.

According to Reuters, the Polish charity Siepomaga had raised about one-third of the $126,000 required for the treatment by last weekend. The procedure would be done at the clinic of ophthalmic oncologist David Abramson, the wire service said.

Malachowski offered this winning pledge on Facebook: “If you help me, my silver can be more precious than gold.”

Malachowski, pictured during the finals competition on Aug. 13, made a heartwarming plea on Facebook for people to help.
Ian Walton/Getty Images
Malachowski, pictured during the finals competition on Aug. 13, made a heartwarming plea on Facebook for people to help.

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.