Wyatt Erber was 8 years old when he decided something he did not even need to think twice about.
In Edwardsville, Illinois, he signed up for a scavenger hunt organized by a local bank in September 2012. He went around the city with his mom, collected all 20 clues in the game, and was the first team to solve it. The prize: $1,000. But Wyatt had already decided before starting that, if he won, that money would not be his. His neighbor Cara Kielty, just 2 years old, had just been diagnosed with leukemia, and he wanted to help.
He called Cara’s family as soon as he confirmed the victory. The girl’s mom tried to refuse the money, until Wyatt asked how much chemotherapy could be bought with it. That phrase changed everything: a local organization matched the amount, and a man from Canada sent another $100. An 8-year-old boy understood someone else’s pain better than many adults.